shriek

Noun · Verb

Synonyms: scream screaming shrieking screech screeching shrill pipe up pipe

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

sharp piercing cry“her screaming attracted the neighbors”Synonyms: scream screaming shrieking screech screeching
a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry“he ducked at the screechings of shells”“he heard the scream of the brakes”Synonyms: screech screeching shrieking scream screaming

Verb (1)

utter a shrill crySynonyms: shrill pipe up pipe

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Shriek \Shriek\, n. A sharp, shrill outcry or scream; a shrill wild cry such as is caused by sudden or extreme terror, pain, or the like. [1913 Webster]

Shrieks, clamors, murmurs, fill the frighted town. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Shriek owl. (Zool.) (a) The screech owl. (b) The swift; -- so called from its cry. [1913 Webster]

Shriek \Shriek\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shrieked; p. pr. & vb. n. Shrieking.] [OE. shriken, originallythe same word as E. screech. See Screech, and cf. Screak.] To utter a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry, as do some birds and beasts; to scream, as in a sudden fright, in horror or anguish. [1913 Webster]

It was the owl that shrieked. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

At this she shrieked aloud; the mournful train Echoed her grief. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Shriek \Shriek\, v. t. To utter sharply and shrilly; to utter in or with a shriek or shrieks. [1913 Webster]

On top whereof aye dwelt the ghostly owl, Shrieking his baleful note. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

She shrieked his name To the dark woods. --Moore. [1913 Webster]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

exclamation mark ! excl exclamation point shriek

<character> The character "!" with ASCII code 33.

Common names: bang; pling; excl (/eks'kl/); shriek; ITU-T: exclamation mark, exclamation point (US). Rare: factorial; exclam; smash; cuss; boing; yell; wow; hey; wham; eureka; soldier; INTERCAL: spark-spot.

The Commonwealth Hackish, "pling", is common among Acorn Archimedes owners. Bang is more common in the USA.

The occasional CMU usage, "shriek", is also used by APL fans and mathematicians, especially category theorists.

Exclamation mark is used in C and elsewhere as the logical negation operation (NOT).

(1998-09-17)

The Jargon File

shriek n.

See excl. Occasional CMU usage, also in common use among APL fans and mathematicians, especially category theorists.