Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SQUASH, n.

1. Something soft and easily crushed. – Shak.
2. [Qu. Gr. σικυος.]A plant of the genus Cucurbita, and its fruit; a culinary vegetable.
3. Something unripe or soft; in contempt. This squash, this gentleman. – Shak.
4. A sudden fall of a heavy soft body. – Arbuthnot.
5. A shock of soft bodies. My fall was stopp'd by a terrible squash. [Vulgar.] – Shak.

SQUASH, v.t. [from the root of quash, L. quasso, Fr. casser.]

To crush; to beat or press into pulp or a flat mass.

SQUASH'Y, adv.

Like a squash; also muddy.

SQUAT, a.

1. Sitting on the hams or heels; sitting close to the ground; cowering. Him there they found, / Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve. – Milton.
2. Short and thick, like the figure of an animal squatting. The head of the squill insect is broad and squat. – Grew.

SQUAT, n.

1. The posture of one that sits on his hams, or close to the ground. – Dryden.
2. A sudden or crushing fall. [Not in use.] – Herbert.
3. A sort of mineral. – Woodward.

SQUAT, v.i. [W. yswatiaw, from yswad, a falling or throw; It. quatto, squat, close; quattare, to squat, to cower, to lurk. It may perhaps be allied to It. guatare, to watch, Fr. guetter, to wait, to watch.]

1. To sit down upon the hams or heels; as a human being.
2. To sit close to the ground; to cower; as an animal.
3. To settle on another's land without pretense of title; a practice very common in the wilderness.
4. To stoop or lie close to escape observation, as a partridge or rabbit.

SQUAT, v.t.

To bruise or make flat by a fall. [Not in use.] – Barret.

SQUATT, n.

Among miners, a bed of ore extending but a little distance.

SQUAT'TER, n.

1. One that squats or sits close.
2. In the United States, one that settles on new land without a title.

SQUAW, n.

Among some tribes of American Indians, a female or wife.

SQUEAK, n.

A sharp shrill sound suddenly uttered, either of the human voice or of any animal or instrument, such as a child utters in acute pain, or as pigs utter, or as is made by carriage wheels when dry, or by a pipe or reed.

SQUEAK, v.i. [Sw. sqväka, to cry like a frog; G. quicken; W. gwiçian, to squeak. This word probably belongs to the family of quack. Class Gk.]

1. To utter a sharp shrill cry, usually of short duration; to cry with an acute tone, as an animal; or to make a sharp noise, as a pipe or quill, a wheel, a door and the like. Wheels squeak only when the axle-tree is dry. Who can endure to hear one of the rough old Romans, squeaking through the mouth of an eunuch? – Addison. Zoilus calls the companions of Ulysses, the squeaking pigs of Homer. – Pope.
2. To break silence or secrecy for fear or pain; to speak. – Dryden.

SQUEAK-ER, n.

One that utters a sharp shrill sound.

SQUEAK-ING, ppr.

Crying with a sharp voice; making a sharp sound; as, a squeaking wheel.

SQUEAL, v.i. [This is only a different orthography of squall; Ir. sgal, a squealing. See Squall.]

To cry with a sharp shrill voice. It is used of animals only, and chiefly of swine. It agrees in sense with squeak, except that squeal denotes a more continued cry than squeak, and the latter is not limited to animals. We say, a squealing hog or pig, a squealing child; but more generally a squalling child.

SQUEAL-ING, ppr.

Uttering a sharp shrill sound or voice; as, a squealing pig.

SQUEAM-ISH, a. [probably from the root of wamble.]

Literally, having a stomach that is easily turned, or that readily nauseates any thing; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties; scrupulous. Quoth he, that honor's very squeamish / That takes a basting for a blemish. – Hudibras. His muse is rustic, and perhaps too plain / The men of squeamish taste to entertain. – Southern.

SQUEAM-ISH-LY, adv.

In a fastidious manner; with too much niceness.

SQUEAM-ISH-NESS, n.

Excessive niceness; vicious delicacy of taste; fastidiousness; excessive scrupulousness. The thorough-paced politician must presently laugh at the squeamishness of his conscience. – South.

SQUEAS-I-NESS, n.

Nausea. [Not used. See Queasiness.]

SQUEAS-Y, a.

Queasy; nice; squeamish; scrupulous. [Not used. See Queasy.]

SQUEEZE, n.

1. Pressure; compression between bodies. – Philips.
2. A close hug or embrace.

SQUEEZE, v.i.

1. To press; to urge one's way; to pass by pressing; as, to squeeze hard to get through a crowd.
2. To crowd. To squeeze through, to pass through by pressing and urging forward.

SQUEEZE, v.t. [Arm. quasqu, goasca; W. gwasgu.]

1. To press between two bodies; to press closely; as, to squeeze an orange with the fingers or with an instrument; to squeeze the hand in friendship.
2. To oppress with hardships, burdens and taxes; to harass; to crush. In a civil war, people must expect to be squeezed with the burden. – L'Estrange.
3. To hug; to embrace closely.
4. To force between close bodies; to compel or cause to pass; as, to squeeze water through felt. To squeeze out, to force out by pressure, as a liquid.

SQUEEZ-ED, pp.

Pressed between bodies; compressed oppressed.