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-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.
Meanings
The sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking.
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. 1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
hu nyikorgás (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cmn 吱呀 (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · gl chirlo (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · eo knaro (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cmn 咯吱 (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · it scricchiolio (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · de Knarren (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · gl renxemento (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · bg скрибуцане (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cs vrzání (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · hu csikorgás (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · bg скърцане (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · it cric (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · sv knarr (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · gl runxido (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cs skřípění (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · da knirken (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · es crujido (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · tr gıcırtı (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · fi narina (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · fi kitinä (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · ro scârțâit (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · de Quietschen (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cs skřípání (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cmn 吱吱 (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · fr craquement (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · hu ropogás (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · fi natina (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · da knagen (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · es rechinido (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · hu reccsenés (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · sq krisëm (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · ru скри́п (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cs zavrzání (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cs zaskřípění (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cmn 咿 (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · sv knak (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cs skřípot (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · cmn 呀 (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · hu recsegés (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · pt rangido (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · la crepitus (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking) · ja きいきい (the sound produced by anything that creaks; a creaking)
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-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.
Meanings
(intransitive) 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. 1856, Eleanor Marx-Aveling (translator), Gustave Flaubert (author), Madame Bovary, Part III, Chapter 10
He heard the creaking of the bolt as it came slowly back, and at the same moment he found the monkey's paw, and frantically breathed his third and last wish. 1901, W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey's Paw:
(transitive) To produce a creaking sound with.
I miss the polished brass, the powerful black horses,
The drivers creaking the seats of the baroque hearses, […] 1941, Theodore Roethke, “On the Road to Woodlawn”, in Open House, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →OCLC; republished in The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke, London: Faber and Faber […], 1968, →OCLC, page 21:
Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry. c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
(figuratively, intransitive) To suffer from strain or old age.
The whole basis of feudalism, especially in the more intensively farmed champion arable landscapes of the Midlands, was starting to creak. 2007, Francis Pryor, Britain in the Middle Ages: An Archaeological History, page 232:
Fascinating though this high-minded re-reading was, certain crucial joints of the play creaked a good deal under the strain. 2002, Stanley Wells, Shakespeare Survey, volume 39, page 205:
cs vrzat (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ru скрипе́ть (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · es chirrisquear (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · uk скрипіти (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ar صَرَّ (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · sv knaka (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ar زَيَّقَ (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · cmn 發吱吱聲 /发吱吱声 (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · gl rilar (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · fi narista (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · fi kitisyttää (to produce a creaking sound with) · ru скрипе́ть (to produce a creaking sound with) · fi kitistä (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · es crujir (to produce a creaking sound with) · gl estarruñar (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi pakē (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi kokē (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · hu nyikorog (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · fi narisuttaa (to produce a creaking sound with) · hy ճռալ (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · eo grinci (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi kekē (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi pātētē (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · nl krassen (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · fi natisuttaa (to produce a creaking sound with) · gl garrir (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · eo knari (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · hu recseg (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · sv knarra (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · cmn 發嘎吱聲 /发嘎吱声 (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi kongangi (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · it scricchiolare (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ja 軋む (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · hi चरमराना (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi ngakeke (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · gl rinchar (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · cs skřípat (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · uk рипіти (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · es rechinar (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · fi natista (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · haw ʻeʻeʻina (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · bg скърцам (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · la crepō (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · bg скрибуцам (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · pt ranger (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · fr craquer (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · gl ganir (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · gl renxer (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · de knarren (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · be рыпець (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · pt rangir (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · hu recseg-ropog (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · cmn 發軋軋聲 /发轧轧声 (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · gsw giire (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ru скри́пнуть (to produce a creaking sound with) · de quietschen (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · es chirriar (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ru скри́пнуть (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · es crujir (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · is ískra (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ang þunian (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · mi whēke (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · hu csikorog (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · pl trzeszczeć (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · sq kris (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · es chirriar (to produce a creaking sound with) · es rechinar (to produce a creaking sound with) · hy ճռճռալ (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound) · ro scârțâi (to make a prolonged sharp grating or squeaking sound)