croak

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• enPR: krōk, IPA^(key): /kɹoʊk/
• enPR: krōk, IPA^(key): /kɹəʊk/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊk

Noun

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.

Translations

a faint, harsh sound made in the throat

• Greek: κρωγμός (el) m (krogmós)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: хрип (ru) m (xrip) (wheeze)

the cry of a frog or toad

• Assamese: টুৰ টুৰ (tur tur)
• Bulgarian: квакане n (kvakane)
• Catalan: rauc (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 呱呱 (zh) (guāguā)

• Danish: kvæk n
• Estonian: krooks
• French: coassement (fr) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Quaken n
• Greek: κουάξ (kouáx)
• Irish: grág f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: gracidio (it) m
• Japanese: ケロケロ (kero kero)
• Polish: rechot (pl) m
• Portuguese: grasnido m, grasnado m, grasnada f, grasno (pt) m
• Russian: ква́канье (ru) n (kvákanʹje)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: кре̏ке̄т m

  Latin: krȅkēt (sh) m

• Swedish: kväk m
• Tagalog: kokak
• Turkish: vıraklama
• Ukrainian: ква́кання f (kvákannja)

the harsh cry of various birds, particularly the raven or crow — see caw

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} קרקור m (qirqur) (2)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Verb

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.
   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     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.

   • (Can we date this quote by G. K. Chesterton and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     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.
   • (Can we date this quote by Carlyle and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Marat […] croaks with reasonableness.

Translations

to make a croak

• Bulgarian: крякам (bg) (krjakam)
• Catalan: raucar (ca)
• Danish: skrige
• Dutch: rochelen (nl)
• Finnish: korahtaa, korahdella (fi)
• French: coasser (fr), croasser (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: krächzen (de)
• Greek: κράζω (el) (krázo)
• Hungarian: krákog (hu)
• Latin: crōciō
• Portuguese: grasnir, grasnar (pt)
• Russian: хрипе́ть (ru) (xripétʹ) (to wheeze)

of a frog, to make its cry

• Arabic: نَقَّ (naqqa)
• Assamese: টুৰ টুৰা (tur tura)
• Breton: koagal (br)
• Bulgarian: квакам (bg) (kvakam)
• Catalan: raucar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 呱呱 (zh) (guāguā)

• Czech: kvákat (cs)
• Danish: kvække
• Dutch: kwaken (nl)
• Estonian: krooksuma
• Finnish: kurnuttaa (fi)
• French: coasser (fr)
• German: quaken (de)
• Galician: croar (gl)
• Greek: κοάζω (el) (koázo)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: קִרְקֵר (he) (qirqér)
• Hungarian: brekeg (hu)
• Indonesian: menguak (id)
• Italian: gracidare (it)
• Japanese: ゲロゲロ鳴く (gerogero naku)
• Latin: quaxō, crōciō
• Polish: rechotać (pl) impf, kumkać impf
• Portuguese: grasnir, grasnar (pt), coaxar (pt)
• Russian: ква́кать (ru) impf (kvákatʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: крекѐтати impf, крекѐтнути pf

  Latin: krekètati (sh) impf, krekètnuti (sh) pf

• Spanish: croar (es)
• Swedish: kväka (sv)
• Tagalog: kumokak
• Ukrainian: ква́кати impf (kvákaty)

slang: to die

• Azerbaijani: qəbərmək, gorbagor olmaq, çezmək
• Bulgarian: умирам (bg) (umiram)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 嗝屁 (zh) (gěpì, gěrpì)

• Dutch: de pijp uit gaan, sneven (nl)
• Estonian: kärvama
• French: crever (fr), clamser (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: krepieren (de), abkratzen (de)
• Italian: crepare (it)
• Japanese: くたばる (kutabaru)
• Russian: сдыха́ть (ru) impf (sdyxátʹ), сдо́хнуть (ru) pf (sdóxnutʹ)
• Spanish: (colloquial) palmar (es), (colloquial) palmarla, (colloquial) espicharla

of a raven, to make its cry — see caw

slang: to kill

• Bulgarian: убивам (bg) (ubivam)
• French: crever (fr), buter (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: zabić (pl)
• Russian: замочи́ть (ru) pf (zamočítʹ), ко́кнуть (ru) pf (kóknutʹ)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} לקרקר (leqarqer) (2)