squawk
Meanings
Plural: squawk, squawked, squawks
Noun
- the noise of squawking
- "she awoke to the squawk of chickens"
- "the squawk of car horns"
- informal terms for objecting
- A shrill noise, especially made by a voice or bird. If made by a bird, it typically signals discomfort or anger; a yell, scream, or call.
- A four-digit transponder code used by aircraft for identification or transmission of emergency signals.
- A complaint or objection.
- An issue or complaint related to aircraft maintenance.
- The American night heron.
- A warning message indicating a possible error.
Verb
- utter a harsh abrupt scream
- complain
- To make a squawking noise; to yell, scream, or call out shrilly.
- To speak out; to protest.
- To report an infraction; to rat on or tattle; to disclose a secret.
- To produce a warning message, indicating a possible error.
- To set or transmit a four-digit transponder code. (Normally followed by the specific code in question.)
- To back out in a mean way.
Origin / Etymology
First attested in 1821. Unknown, but probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco (“small-crested heron”)).
Synonyms
beef, bellyache, bitch, crab, gripe, grouse, holler, kick, screak, screech, skreak, skreigh
Scrabble Score: 22
squawk is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordsquawk is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
squawk is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary