Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (v. i.) To utter a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry, as do some birds and beasts; to scream, as in a sudden fright, in horror or anguish.

2. (v. t.) To utter sharply and shrilly; to utter in or with a shriek or shrieks.

3. (n.) A sharp, shrill outcry or scream; a shrill wild cry such as is caused by sudden or extreme terror, pain, or the like.