croak

[krohk] /kroʊk/
verb (used without object)
1.
to utter a low-pitched, harsh cry, as the sound of a frog or a raven.
2.
to speak with a low, rasping voice.
3.
Slang. to die.
4.
to talk despondingly; prophesy trouble or evil; grumble.
verb (used with object)
5.
to utter or announce by croaking.
6.
Slang. to kill.
noun
7.
the act or sound of croaking.
Origin
1550-60; earlier croke, probably imitative; compare Old English cræcetian (of a raven) to croak
Can be confused
creak, creek, croak.
Examples from the web for croak
  • Everything demanded to be tasted, even when its burn forced you to croak out a plea for ice water.
  • Why croakers croak when and where they do remains unclear.
  • Today, his descendants still sing with a croak, even with perfectly healthy throats.
  • So they croak and whisper in broken sentences mainly about the families they do not expect to see again.
  • The voice is a croak said to resemble the distant roaring of a bull.
  • Take a short walk on an old railroad bed and enjoy hearing the frogs croak.
  • Through the quiet dawn in the rosy light, an eerie croak is reverberating from the distance.
  • The call of the crow is a shrill nasal caw in contrast to the deep croak of the raven.
British Dictionary definitions for croak

croak

/krəʊk/
verb
1.
(intransitive) (of frogs, crows, etc) to make a low, hoarse cry
2.
to utter (something) in this manner: he croaked out the news
3.
(intransitive) to grumble or be pessimistic
4.
(slang)
  1. (intransitive) to die
  2. (transitive) to kill
noun
5.
a low hoarse utterance or sound
Derived Forms
croaky, adjective
croakily, adverb
croakiness, noun
Word Origin
Old English crācettan; related to Old Norse krāka a crow; see creak
Word Origin and History for croak
v.

early 14c., crouken, imitative or related to Old English cracian (see crack (v.)). Slang meaning "to die" is first recorded 1812, from sound of death rattle. Related: Croaked; croaking.

n.

1560s, from croak (v.).

Slang definitions & phrases for croak

croak

noun

A mixture of crack cocaine and cocaine: A new wave of narcotics with names such as ''croak'' and ''parachute'' is hitting the nation's streets (1980s+ Narcotics)

verb
  1. To die: I had the horse trained, then he up and croaked on me (1812+)
  2. To kill; murder: He croaked a screw at Dannemora (1848+)