squeak

Etymology

noun

1. (countable) A short, high-pitched sound, as of two objects rubbing together, or the sounds made by mice and other small animals.
2. (uncountable, games) A card game similar to group solitaire.
3. (countable, slang) A narrow squeak.
   "I had the very devil of a squeak for it," he went on. "I did the hurdles over two or three garden-walls, but so did the flyer who was on my tracks, and he drove me back into the straight and down to High Street like any lamplighter. […] 1905, E. W. Hornung, A Thief in the Night

verb

1. (intransitive) To emit a short, high-pitched sound.
   But I must warn you that chipboard floors are always likely to squeak. The material is still being used in new-builds, but developers now use adhesive to bed and joint it, rather than screws or nails. I suspect the adhesive will eventually embrittle and crack, resulting in the same squeaking problems as before. 17 August 2014, Jeff Howell, “Home improvements: Repairing and replacing floorboards [print version: Never buy anything from a salesman, 16 August 2014, p. P7]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Property)
2. (intransitive, slang) To inform, to squeal.
3. (transitive) To speak or sound in a high-pitched manner.
4. (intransitive, games) To empty the pile of 13 cards a player deals to oneself in the card game of the same name.
5. (intransitive, informal) To win or progress by a narrow margin.
   […] allowing Parkinson to squeak into the final by a half-point margin. 1999, Surfer, volume 40, numbers 7-12
   France were transformed from the feeble, divided unit that had squeaked past Wales in the semi-final, their half-backs finding the corners with beautifully judged kicks from hand, the forwards making yards with every drive and a reorganised Kiwi line-out beginning to malfunction. October 23, 2011, Tom Fordyce, “2011 Rugby World Cup final: New Zealand 8-7 France”, in BBC Sport