Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCREAK, v.i. [Sw. skrika; Dan. skriger; W. ysgreçian, from creçian, to creak, to shriek, from creç, cryç, rough, roughness, or its root. This word is only a different orthography of screech and shriek, but is not elegant.]

To utter suddenly a sharp shrill sound or outcry; to scream; as in a sudden fright; also, to creak, as a door or wheel. [See Screech.] [When applied to things, we use creak, and when to persons, shriek, both of which are elegant.]

SCREAM, n.

A shriek or sharp shrill cry uttered suddenly, as in terror or in pain; or the shrill cry of a fowl; as, screams of horror. Pope.

SCREAM, v.i. [Sax. reomian, hræman or hreman; W. ysgarmu, to set up a scream or shout. It appears from the Welsh that this is also the English skirmish, Sp. escaramuzar, which in D. is schermutselen, from scherm, a fence or skreen; schermen, to fence. The primary sense is to thrust, drive or force out or away, to separate. See Class Rm, No. 11.]

1. To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, as in a fright or in extreme pain; to shriek. The fearful matrons raise a screaming cry. Dryden.
2. To utter a shrill harsh cry; as, the screaming owl.

SCREAM'ER, n.

A fowl, or genus of fowls, of the grallic order, of two species, natives of America.

SCREAM'ING, n.

The act of crying out with a shriek of terror or agony.

SCREAM'ING, ppr.

Uttering suddenly a sharp shrill cry; crying with a shrill voice.

SCREECH, n.

1. A sharp shrill cry uttered in acute pain, or in a sudden fright.
2. A harsh shrill cry, as of a fowl. – Pope.

SCREECH, v.i. [Sw. skrika; Dan. skriger; G. schreien, W. ysgreçian, from creçian, to creak; Ir. screachaim. See Screak and Shriek, and Class Rg, No. 1, 4, 49, 50.]

1. To cry out with a sharp shrill voice; to utter a sudden shrill cry, as in terror or acute pain; to scream; to shriek. Bacon.
2. To utter a sharp cry, as an owl; thence called screech-owl.

SCREECH'ING, ppr.

Uttering a shrill or harsh cry.

SCREECH'-OWL, n.

1. An owl that utters a harsh disagreeable cry at night, no more ominous of evil than the notes of the nightingale.
2. adj. Like a screech-owl. – Carlisle.

SCREED, n.

With plasterers, the floated work behind a cornice. – Encyc.

SCREEN, n. [Fr. ecran. This word is evidently from the root of L. cerno, excerno, Gr. κρινω, to separate, to sift, to judge, to fight, contend, skirmish; Sp. harnero, a sieve. The primary sense of the root is to separate, to drive or force asunder, hence to sift, to discern, to judge, to separate or cut off danger.]

1. Any thing that separates or cuts off inconvenience, injury or danger; and hence, that which shelters or protects from danger, or prevents inconvenience. Thus a screen is used to intercept the sight, to intercept the heat of fire or the light of a candle. Some ambitious men seem as screens to princes in matters of danger and envy. – Bacon
2. A riddle or sieve.

SCREEN, v.t.

1. To separate or cut off from inconvenience, injury or danger; to shelter; to protect; to protect by hiding; to conceal; as, fruits screened from cold winds by a forest or hill. Our houses and garments screen us from cold; an umbrella screens us from rain and the sun's rays. Neither rank nor money should screen from punishment the man who violates the laws.
2. To sift or riddle; to separate the coarse part of any thing from the fine, or the worthless from the valuable. – Evelyn.

SCREEN'ED, pp.

Protected or sheltered from injury or danger; sifted.

SCREEN'ING, ppr.

Protecting from injury or danger.

SCREW, n. [D. schroef; G. schraube; Dan. skruve or skrue; Sw. skruf. The primary sense is probably to turn, or, rather to strain. Class Rb.]

1. A cylinder of wood or metal, grooved spirally; or a cylinder with a spiral channel or thread cut in such a manner that is equally inclined to the base of the cylinder throughout the whole length. A screw is male or female. In the male screw, the thread rises from the surface of the cylinder; in the female, the groove or channel is sunk below the surface to receive the thread of the male screw.
2. One of the six mechanical powers.

SCREW, v.t.

1. To turn or apply a screw to; to press, fasten or make firm by a screw; as, to screw a lock on a door; to screw a press.
2. To force; to squeeze; to press.
3. To oppress by exactions. Landlords sometimes screw and rack their tenants without mercy.
4. To deform by contortions; to distort. He screw'd his face into a harden'd smile. – Dryden. To screw out, to press out; to extort. To screw up, to force; to bring by violent pressure; as, to screw up the pins of power too high. – Howell. To screw in, to force in by turning or twisting.

SCREW'ED, pp.

Fastened with screws; pressed with screws; forced.

SCREW'ER, n.

He or that which screws.

SCREW'ING, ppr.

Turning a screw; fastening or pressing with a screw.

SCREW'-PINE, n. [Malay, Pandang, i. e. something to be regarded.]

The popular name of the several species of the genus Pandanus, trees which grow in the East Indies, the Isle of Bourbon, Mauritius, New South Wales and Guinea. The trees have great beauty, and some of them an exquisite odor; and their roots, leaves and fruit are all found useful for various purposes.

SCREW'-TREE, n.

A plant of the genus Helicteres, of several species, natives of warm climates. They are shrubby plants, with yellow flowers, and capsules intorted or twisted inward. – Encyc.

SCRIB'BLE, n.

Hasty or careless writing; a writing of little value; as, a hasty scribble. – Boyle.

SCRIB'BLE, v.i.

To write without care or beauty. If Mævius scribble in Apollo's spite. – Pope.

SCRIB'BLE, v.t. [L. scribillo, dim. of scribo, to write, W. ysgrivaw. See Scribe.]

1. To write with haste, or without care or regard to correctness or elegance; as, to scribble a letter or pamphlet.
2. To fill with artless or worthless writing. – Milton.