beep /biːp/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: From the sound ]
1 . [intransitive] if a machine beeps, it makes a short high sound SYN bleep :
Why does the computer keep beeping?
2 . [intransitive and transitive] if a car horn beeps, or if you beep your car horn, it makes a loud noise
—beep noun [countable] :
Leave your message after the beep.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ a high sound
▪ squeak a very short high sound or cry:
I heard the squeak of his shoes on the tiled floor.
|
Annie gave a squeak of surprise.
▪ creak a long high sound that something makes when someone opens it, walks on it, sits on it etc - used especially about a door, wooden floor, bed, or stairs:
the creak of floorboards
|
The door opened with a creak.
▪ screech a loud, long, unpleasantly high sound - used especially about someone’s voice, or about brakes, tyres etc:
There was a screech of tyres followed by a bang.
|
She let out a screech of horror.
▪ beep ( also bleep British English ) a high electronic sound that a machine sends out, especially in order to attract someone’s attention:
You’ll hear a bleep when the photocopier’s finished printing.