English Explanatory Dictionary

creak

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking.
verb
  1. To make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound, as by the friction of hard substances.
  2. To produce a creaking sound with.
  3. To suffer from strain or old age.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

krēk /kɹiːk/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-creak.wav

Word forms

creak creaks crik creaking creaked

Etymology

From Middle English creken, criken, metathesis of Old English cearcian (“to chatter, creak, crash, gnash”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn (“to crash, crack, creak”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to make a sound, cry hoarsely”), ultimately of imitative origin. Compare also Old English crǣccettan, crācettan (“to croak”), Albanian grykë (“throat”). More at crack.

Synonyms

moan

Derived words

creakless acreak a creaking door hangs longest a creaking door hangs long on its hinges creaker creakingly creaky
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