Screech
/skriːtʃ/noun
To make a harsh, high-pitched sound; also, a harsh, high-pitched cry or noise.
Did you know?English **screech** is probably imitative in origin, but its force was so strong that it helped shape words for harsh cries and alarm across later English usage.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
scrēcian
“to creak, squeak, or make a harsh sound”
Middle English
ME
screchen
“to cry out harshly; to make a screeching noise”
15th Century
English
screech
“a harsh, shrill cry or noise”
Modern English
English
screech
“a piercing, high-pitched cry or sound”