croak

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English *croken, crouken, (also represented by craken > crake), back-formation from Old English crācettan (“to croak”) (also in derivative crǣcetung (“croaking”)), from Proto-Germanic *krēk-, from Proto-Indo-European *greh₂-g-, from *greh₂-k-, of onomatopoeic origin. See also Swedish kråka, German krächzen, Sanskrit गर्जति (garjati, “to growl”); also compare Latin grāculus (“jackdaw”), Serbo-Croatian grákati. More at crack, crake and craic. === Pronunciation === (General American) enPR: krōk, IPA(key): /kɹoʊk/ (Received Pronunciation) enPR: krōk, IPA(key): /kɹəʊk/ Rhymes: -əʊk === Noun === croak (plural croaks) A faint, harsh sound made in the throat. The call of a frog or toad. Synonym: ribbit The harsh call of various birds, such as the raven or corncrake, or other creatures. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === croak (third-person singular simple present croaks, present participle croaking, simple past and past participle croaked) (intransitive) To make a croak sound. (transitive) To utter in a low, hoarse voice. (intransitive, of a frog, toad, raven, or various other birds or animals) To make its vocal sound. (intransitive, slang) To die. (transitive, slang) To kill. 1925, G. K. Chesterton, The Arrow of Heaven (first published in Nash's Pall Mall Magazine, Jul 1925) If Wilton croaked the criminal he did a jolly good day's work, and there's an end of it. To complain; especially, to grumble; to forebode evil; to utter complaints or forebodings habitually. (programming slang, Perl) To abort the current program indicating a user or caller error. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ====