Origin of squeak

1350–1400; Middle English squeken, perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Swedish skväka to croak

OTHER WORDS FROM squeak

squeak·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby squeak

squawfish, squawk, squawk box, squawky, squawroot, squeak, squeak by, squeaker, squeaky, squeaky wheel gets the grease, squeaky-clean

British Dictionary definitions for squeak by

squeak
/ (skwiːk) /

noun

a short shrill cry or high-pitched sound
informal an escape (esp in the phrases narrow squeak, near squeak)

verb

to make or cause to make a squeak
(intr ; usually foll by through or by) to pass with only a narrow margin to squeak through an examination
(intr) informal to confess information about oneself or another
(tr) to utter with a squeak

Derived forms of squeak

squeaker, noun squeaky, adjective squeakily, adverb squeakiness, noun

Word Origin for squeak

C17: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skväka to croak

Idioms and Phrases with squeak by

squeak by

Also, squeak through. Manage barely to pass, win, survive, or the like, as in They are just squeaking by on their income, or He squeaked through the driver's test. This idiom transfers squeak in the sense of “barely emit a sound” to “narrowly manage something.” [First half of 1900s] Also see squeeze through.