— shrieker , n. — shriekingly , adv. — shrieky , adj.
/shreek/ , n.
1. a loud, sharp, shrill cry.
2. a loud, high sound of laughter.
3. any loud, shrill sound, as of a whistle.
v.i.
4. to utter a loud, sharp, shrill cry, as birds.
5. to cry out sharply in a high voice: to shriek with pain.
6. to utter loud, high-pitched sounds in laughing.
7. (of a musical instrument, a whistle, the wind, etc.) to give forth a loud, shrill sound.
v.t.
8. to utter in a shriek: to shriek defiance.
[ 1560-70; earlier shrick, N var. of shritch (now dial.), ME schrichen, back formation from OE scriccettan; akin to SHRIKE ]
Syn. 1, 5. scream, screech. 5. See scream .