From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishscreechscreech /skriːtʃ/ ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]SCREAM to shout loudly in an unpleasant high voice because you are angry, afraid, or excited SYN shriek, scream ‘Look out!’ she screeched. They screeched with laughter.screech at She screeched at me to take off my muddy shoes.2 [intransitive]SOUND if a vehicle screeches, its wheels make a high unpleasant noise as it moves along or stops A van screeched onto the road in front of me. The car screeched to a halt.► see thesaurus at sound —screech noun [countable] a screech of laughter the screech of tyres→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
screech• Surface, and the sky is blue and seagulls screech.• Sue grabbed him, screeching, and started hitting him with her fists.• ""Get out!'' she screeched angrily. ""I hate you!''• Miss Defy screeched around a blind bend into the path of an oncoming sedan.• The train screeched as it pulled into the station.• The plane's tires screeched as it touched down on the runway.• The wheels of wagons delivering feed or wood screeched as though they hurt.• Maria suddenly started screeching at Bruno.• screeching brakes• They posed holding hands for photographers before turning back to the screeching fans and signing yet more autographs.• At intervals while we were negotiating with him, he screeched his battle songs and war cries.• I heard Heather screech, "Hit him, Jim!"• A gull screeched overhead breaking the dreamy silence, and Julie's eyes flicked open.• He jumped to his feet, screeching, when Delia Sutherland's shadow fell across him.screeched to a halt• Not ten minutes had elapsed when the first van arrived and not eleven when the second screeched to a halt.• The driver slammed on the brakes; the Jeep screeched to a halt.• The lights changed and the cars grudgingly screeched to a halt.• As the car screeched to a halt, Joe's body slid from the bonnet on to the road.• We sped from the car park undetected and screeched to a halt outside the flower shop, as instructed.• A few minutes later a police jeep screeched to a halt outside.• A police car emerged from the other alleyway and screeched to a halt ten yards in front of Whitlock, blocking his shot.Origin screech (1500-1600) scritch “to screech” ((13-20 centuries)), from the sound 