croak

From Middle English *croken, crouken, (also represented by craken > crake), back-formation from Old English crācettan (“to croak”) (also in derivative crǣcettung (“croaking”)), from Proto-Germanic *krēk- (compare Swedish kråka, German krächzen), from Proto-Indo-European *greh₂-k- (compare Latin grāculus (“jackdaw”), Serbo-Croatian grákati).

• (General American) enPR: krōk, IPA^(key): /kɹoʊk/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: krōk, IPA^(key): /kɹəʊk/
• Rhymes: -əʊk

croak (plural croaks)

1. A faint, harsh sound made in the throat.
2. The cry of a frog or toad. (see also ribbit)
3. The harsh cry of various birds, such as the raven or corncrake, or other creatures.

croak (third-person singular simple present croaks, present participle croaking, simple past and past participle croaked)

1. (intransitive) To make a croak.
2. (transitive) To utter in a low, hoarse voice.
   • Shakespeare

     The raven himself is hoarse, / That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan.

3. (intransitive, of a frog, toad, raven, or various other birds or animals) To make its cry.
4. (slang) To die.
5. (transitive, slang) To kill someone or something.

   He'd seen my face, so I had to croak him.

   • G. K. Chesterton

     If Wilton croaked the criminal he did a jolly good day's work, and there's an end of it.

6. To complain; especially, to grumble; to forebode evil; to utter complaints or forebodings habitually.
   • Carlyle

     Marat […] croaks with reasonableness.