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# squeal

«squeal» in Mova's school dictionary: **To make a long, high, loud sound, like a pig or an…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (squeal, squeals, squealed, squealing); noun (a squeal, squeals)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To make a long, high, loud sound, like a pig or an excited child. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#m1)

2) A long, high sound like that, from a person, animal, or brakes or tyres. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#m2)

3) (slang) To tell secrets to the police or to someone in charge about what others did; to tell on someone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In stories «squeal» shows delight, fright or pain: children squeal with laughter, pigs squeal, tyres squeal when a car brakes hard. In crime stories and slang «to squeal» means to inform on someone. Phrases: «squeal with delight», «squeal of brakes», «squeal on someone».

### examples

- The children squealed with delight when they saw the puppies. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x1)
- The pig gave a loud squeal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x2)
- The tyres squealed as the car stopped suddenly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x3)
- She let out a squeal when the cold water hit her. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x4)
- My little sister squeals every time she goes on the swing. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x5)
- (slang) He promised he wouldn't squeal on his friends. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x6)
- We heard the squeal of the brakes on the bus. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x7)
- The guinea pigs squeal when they hear the fridge open. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x8)
- "Oh! let him go," squealed all the company. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/#x9)

### note

Regular verb: squealed, squealing. A squeal is higher and longer than a «squeak». The slang sense («squeal on someone», like «grass» in the UK or «dob in» in Australia) is informal and often shows disapproval.

### In the corpora

- [Blowing too hard makes a recorder jump up to a shrill squeal; a soft, steady breath gives a clear note.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/1-music-lessons-and-the-recorder/5/)
- [In the lumpy little valley the Mole trips and falls with a squeal — he's cut his shin.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/36-willows-ch3-part4-the-door-scraper/0/)
- [Of course Toad falls into the water with a splash and a squeal.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/70-willows-ch12-part1-the-secret-passage-at-night/4/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «squeal» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/squeal/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.