creak

C2 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /kɹiːk/ See IPA manual

Freq #18286

Meanings

1

noun
a squeaking sound

The creak of the floorboards gave the thief away.
2

verb
to make a high-pitched, screeching noise

The door creaked when I opened it slowly.
3

noun
The sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking.

1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados I won't say that I didn't close my eyes for a minute through the whole night, but if I did sleep it was only as a watchdog sleeps. A whisper or a creak of a board would have found me alert.
4

verb
To make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound, as by the friction of hard substances.

Then when the four ropes were arranged the coffin was placed upon them. He watched it descend; it seemed descending for ever. At last a thud was heard; the ropes creaked as they were drawn up.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a squeaking sound creaking

2 verb · to make a high-pitched,... squeak

4 verb · to make a prolonged sharp... moan

Word family

Derived forms acreakcreakercreakinglycreaky

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-Germanic *krakōną, 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.

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# creak

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /kɹiːk/
**Frequency rank:** 18286

## Meanings
1. a squeaking sound
2. to make a high-pitched, screeching noise
3. The sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking.
4. To make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound, as by the friction of hard substances.

## Examples
- The creak of the floorboards gave the thief away.
- The door creaked when I opened it slowly.
- 1923, Ernest Bramah, The Eyes of Max Carrados I won't say that I didn't close my eyes for a minute through the whole night, but if I did sleep it was only as a watchdog sleeps. A whisper or a creak of a board would have found me alert.
- Then when the four ropes were arranged the coffin was placed upon them. He watched it descend; it seemed descending for ever. At last a thud was heard; the ropes creaked as they were drawn up.

## Derived Forms
- acreak
- creaker
- creakingly
- creaky

## 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-Germanic *krakōną, 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.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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