What is "squawk"

Night \Night\ (n[imac]t), n. [OE. night, niht, AS. neaht, niht; akin to D. nacht, OS. & OHG. naht, G. nacht, Icel. n[=o]tt, Sw. natt, Dan. nat, Goth. nahts, Lith. naktis, Russ. noche, W. nos, Ir. nochd, L. nox, noctis, Gr. ny`x, nykto`s, Skr. nakta, nakti. [root]265. Cf. Equinox, Nocturnal.]

1. That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise; esp., the time between dusk and dawn, when there is no light of the sun, but only moonlight, starlight, or artificial light.

   And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
   --Gen. i. 5.

2. Hence:

   1. Darkness; obscurity; concealment.

      Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night.
      --Pope.

   2. Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance.

   3. A state of affliction; adversity; as, a dreary night of sorrow.

   4. The period after the close of life; death.

      She closed her eyes in everlasting night.
      --Dryden.

      Do not go gentle into that good night Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
      --Dylan Thomas.

   5. A lifeless or unenlivened period, as when nature seems to sleep. ``Sad winter's night''. --Spenser. Note: Night is sometimes used, esp. with participles, in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, night-blooming, night-born, night-warbling, etc. Night by night, Night after night, nightly; many nights. So help me God, as I have watched the night, Ay, night by night, in studying good for England. --Shak. Night bird. (Zo["o]l.)

      1. The moor hen ( Gallinula chloropus).

      2. The Manx shearwater ( Puffinus Anglorum). Night blindness. (Med.) See Hemeralopia. Night cart, a cart used to remove the contents of privies by night. Night churr, (Zo["o]l.), the nightjar. Night crow, a bird that cries in the night. Night dog, a dog that hunts in the night, -- used by poachers. Night fire.

         1. Fire burning in the night.

         2. Ignis fatuus; Will-o'-the-wisp; Jask-with-a-lantern. Night flyer (Zo["o]l.), any creature that flies in the night, as some birds and insects. night glass, a spyglass constructed to concentrate a large amount of light, so as see objects distinctly at night. --Totten. Night green, iodine green. Night hag, a witch supposed to wander in the night. Night hawk (Zo["o]l.), an American bird ( Chordeiles Virginianus), allied to the goatsucker. It hunts the insects on which it feeds toward evening, on the wing, and often, diving down perpendicularly, produces a loud whirring sound, like that of a spinning wheel. Also sometimes applied to the European goatsuckers. It is called also bull bat. Night heron (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of herons of the genus Nycticorax, found in various parts of the world. The best known species is Nycticorax griseus, or Nycticorax nycticorax, of Europe, and the American variety (var. n[ae]vius). The yellow-crowned night heron ( Nyctanassa violacea syn. Nycticorax violaceus) inhabits the Southern States. Called also qua-bird, and squawk. Night house, a public house, or inn, which is open at night. Night key, a key for unfastening a night latch. Night latch, a kind of latch for a door, which is operated from the outside by a key. Night monkey (Zo["o]l.), an owl monkey. night moth (Zo["o]l.), any one of the noctuids. Night parrot (Zo["o]l.), the kakapo. Night piece, a painting representing some night scene, as a moonlight effect, or the like. Night rail, a loose robe, or garment, worn either as a nightgown, or over the dress at night, or in sickness. Night raven (Zo["o]l.), a bird of ill omen that cries in the night; esp., the bittern. Night rule.

            1. A tumult, or frolic, in the night; -- as if a corruption, of night revel. [Obs.]

            2. Such conduct as generally rules, or prevails, at night. What night rule now about this haunted grove? --Shak. Night sight. (Med.) See Nyctolopia. Night snap, a night thief. [Cant] --Beau. & Fl. Night soil, human excrement; -- so called because in cities it is collected by night and carried away for manure. Night spell, a charm against accidents at night. Night swallow (Zo["o]l.), the nightjar. Night walk, a walk in the evening or night. Night walker.

               1. One who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist; a noctambulist.

               2. One who roves about in the night for evil purposes; specifically, a prostitute who walks the streets. Night walking.

                  1. Walking in one's sleep; sleep walking; somnambulism; noctambulism.

                  2. Walking the streets at night with evil designs. Night warbler (Zo["o]l.), the sedge warbler ( Acrocephalus phragmitis); -- called also night singer. [Prov. Eng.] Night watch.

                     1. A period in the night, as distinguished by the change of watch.

                     2. A watch, or guard, to aford protection in the night.

                        Night watcher, one who watches in the night; especially, one who watches with evil designs.

                        Night witch. Same as Night hag, above.

1821, probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco "small crested heron"). Related: Squawked; squawking. Squawk-box "loud-speaker" is from 1945.

1850, from squawk (v.).

n. 1 A shrill noise, especially made by a voice or bird; a yell, scream, or call. 2 (context aviation English) A four-digit transponder code used by aircraft for identification or transmission of emergency signals. 3 (context aviation English) An issue or complaint related to aircraft maintenance. 4 The American night heron. vb. 1 To make a squawking noise; to yell, scream, or call out shrilly. 2 To speak out; to protest. 3 To report an infraction; to rat on or tattle; to disclose a secret. 4 (context aviation English) To set or transmit a four-digit transponder code. (non-gloss definition: (Normally followed by the specific code in question.))

1. n. the noise of squawking; "the squawk of car horns"

2. informal terms for objecting; "I have a gripe about the service here" [syn: gripe, kick, beef, bitch]

3. v. utter a harsh abrupt scream [syn: screak, skreak, skreigh, screech]

4. complain; "What was he hollering about?" [syn: gripe, grouse, crab, beef, bellyache, holler]

Squawk is Budgie's second album. Released in September 1972, it was certified Gold in 1973. The cover art was by Roger Dean.

Squawk can refer to:

• Yellow-crowned night heron, also known as a squawk.
• Squawk code (more formally transponder code), a four-digit number sent out by an aircraft's transponder.
• Squawk (album), hard rock band Budgie's second album released in 1972.
• Squawk virtual machine, a Java virtual machine for small devices, written mostly in Java programming language.
• A nickname for the Seattle Seahawks football team.
• Squawk can also refer to another aviation-related meaning, concerning maintenance problems, such as: "The plane has three squawks." - where there are three problems that require repair or attention.
• Squawk (sound) - short, inspiratory, musical sound that have been reported to be present in patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, fibrotic lung disorders, and pneumonia.
• Hoot-n-holler (also known as a squawk box system), a type of telecommunications system where there is a permanent open circuit between two or more parties.

Squawks or short wheezes are brief "squeaky" sounds that are also referred to as squeaks. Their waveforms show a sinusoidal pattern with a duration 10 to 100 ms and a frequency between 200 and 800 Hz. Many birds have made sounds which are onomatopoeically described as "squawk". Squawks have been described in bird fancier's disease and other forms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. They are also heard in a variety of conditions in which alveolitis is present. In one study they were found in 10% of patients with pneumonia.