Squarrous Squar"rous adjective Squarrose.

Squarrulose Squar"ru·lose` adjective [ Dim. of squarrose .] (Botany) Somewhat squarrose; slightly squarrose. Gray.

Squash Squash noun [ Confer Musquash .] (Zoology) An American animal allied to the weasel. [ Obsolete] Goldsmith.

Squash Squash noun [ Massachusetts Indian asq , plural asquash , raw, green, immaturate, applied to fruit and vegetables which were used when green, or without cooking; askutasquash vine apple.] (Botany) A plant and its fruit of the genus Cucurbita , or gourd kind.

» The species are much confused. The long-neck squash is called Cucurbita verrucosa , the Barbary or China squash, C. moschata , and the great winter squash, C. maxima , but the distinctions are not clear.

Squash beetle (Zoology) , a small American beetle ( Diabrotica, or Galeruca vittata ) which is often abundant and very injurious to the leaves of squash, cucumber, etc. It is striped with yellow and black. The name is applied also to other allied species. -- Squash bug (Zoology) , a large black American hemipterous insect ( Coreus, or Anasa, tristis ) injurious to squash vines.

Squash Squash transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squashed ; present participle & verbal noun Squashing .] [ Middle English squashen , Old French escachier , esquachier , to squash, to crush, French écacher , perhaps from (assumed) Late Latin excoacticare , from Latin ex + coactare to constrain, from cogere , coactum , to compel. Confer Cogent , Squat , intransitive verb ] To beat or press into pulp or a flat mass; to crush.

Squash Squash noun 1. Something soft and easily crushed; especially, an unripe pod of pease.

Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a squash is before 't is a peascod.

Shak.

2. Hence, something unripe or soft; -- used in contempt. "This squash , this gentleman." Shak.

3. A sudden fall of a heavy, soft body; also, a shock of soft bodies. Arbuthnot.

My fall was stopped by a terrible squash .

Swift.

Squash Squash noun A game much like rackets, played in a walled court with soft rubber balls and bats like tennis rackets.

Squasher Squash"er noun One who, or that which, squashes.

Squashiness Squash"i·ness noun The quality or state of being squashy, or soft.

Squashy Squash"y adjective Easily squashed; soft.

Squat Squat noun (Zoology) The angel fish ( Squatina angelus ).

Squat Squat intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squatted ; present participle & verbal noun Squatting .] [ Middle English squatten to crush, Old French esquater , esquatir (cf. Italian quatto squat, cowering), perhaps from Latin ex + coactus , past participle cogere to drive or urge together. See Cogent , Squash , transitive verb ] 1. To sit down upon the hams or heels; as, the savages squatted near the fire.

2. To sit close to the ground; to cower; to stoop, or lie close, to escape observation, as a partridge or rabbit.

3. To settle on another's land without title; also, to settle on common or public lands.

Squat Squat transitive verb To bruise or make flat by a fall. [ Obsolete]

Squat Squat adjective 1. Sitting on the hams or heels; sitting close to the ground; cowering; crouching.

Him there they found,
Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve.

Milton.

2. Short and thick, like the figure of an animal squatting. "The round, squat turret." R. Browning.

The head [ of the squill insect] is broad and squat .

Grew.

Squat Squat noun 1. The posture of one that sits on his heels or hams, or close to the ground.

2. A sudden or crushing fall. [ Obsolete] erbert.

3. (Mining) (a) A small vein of ore. (b) A mineral consisting of tin ore and spar. Halliwell. Woodward.

Squat snipe (Zoology) , the jacksnipe; -- called also squatter . [ Local, U.S.]

Squaterole Squat"er·ole noun (Zoology) The black-bellied plover.

Squatter Squat"ter noun 1. One who squats; specifically, one who settles unlawfully upon land without a title. In the United States and Australia the term is sometimes applied also to a person who settles lawfully upon government land under permission and restrictions, before acquiring title.

In such a tract, squatters and trespassers were tolerated to an extent now unknown.

Macaulay.

2. (Zoology) See Squat snipe , under Squat .

Squatter sovereignty , the right claimed by the squatters, or actual residents, of a Territory of the United States to make their own laws. [ Local, U.S.] Bartlett.

Squatty Squat"ty adjective Squat; dumpy. J. Burroughs.

Squaw Squaw noun [ Massachusetts Indian squa , eshqua ; Narragansett squâws ; Delaware ochqueu , and khqueu ; used also in compound words (as the names of animals) in the sense of female .] A female; a woman; -- in the language of Indian tribes of the Algonquin family, correlative of sannup .

Old squaw . (Zoology) See under Old .

Squaw man Squaw man A white man who has married an Indian squaw; sometimes, one who has gained tribal rights by such a marriage; -- often a term of contempt. [ Western U. S.]

Squaw vine Squaw vine (Botany) The partridge berry ( Mitchella repens ).

Squawberry Squaw"ber`ry noun (Botany) A local name for the partridge berry; also, for the deerberry. [ U. S.]

Squawk Squawk intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squawked ; present participle & verbal noun Squawking .] [ See Squeak .] To utter a shrill, abrupt scream; to squeak harshly.

Squawking thrush (Zoology) , the missel turush; -- so called from its note when alarmed. [ Prov. Eng.]

Squawk Squawk noun 1. Act of squawking; a harsh squeak.

2. (Zoology) The American night heron. See under Night .

Squawk duck (Zoology) , the bimaculate duck ( Anas glocitans ). It has patches of reddish brown behind, and in front of, each eye. [ Prov. Eng.]

Squawl Squawl intransitive verb See Squall .

Squawroot Squaw"root` noun (Botany) A scaly parasitic plant ( Conopholis Americana ) found in oak woods in the United States; -- called also cancer root .

Squawweed Squaw"weed` noun (Botany) The golden ragwort. See under Ragwort .

Squeak Squeak intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squaked ; present participle & verbal noun Squeaking .] [ Probably of imitative origin; confer Swedish sqväka to croak, Icelandic skvakka to give a sound as of water shaken in a bottle.] 1. To utter a sharp, shrill cry, usually of short duration; to cry with an acute tone, as an animal; or, to make a sharp, disagreeable noise, as a pipe or quill, a wagon wheel, a door; to creak.

Who can endure to hear one of the rough old Romans squeaking through the mouth of an eunuch?

Addison.

Zoilus calls the companions of Ulysses the " squeaking pigs" of Homer.

Pope.

2. To break silence or secrecy for fear of pain or punishment; to speak; to confess. [ Colloq.]

If he be obstinate, put a civil question to him upon the rack, and he squeaks , I warrant him.

Dryden.

Squeak Squeak noun A sharp, shrill, disagreeable sound suddenly utered, either of the human voice or of any animal or instrument, such as is made by carriage wheels when dry, by the soles of leather shoes, or by a pipe or reed.

Squeaker Squeak"er noun 1. One who, or that which, squeaks.

2. (Zoology) The Australian gray crow shrile ( Strepera anaphonesis ); -- so called from its note.

Squeakingly Squeak"ing·ly adverb In a squeaking manner.

Squeal Squeal intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squealed ; present participle & verbal noun Squealing .] [ Of Scand. origin; confer Swedish sqväla , Norw. skvella . Confer Squeak , Squall .] 1. To cry with a sharp, shrill, prolonged sound, as certain animals do, indicating want, displeasure, or pain.

2. To turn informer; to betray a secret. [ Slang]

Squeal Squeal noun A shrill, somewhat prolonged cry.

Squealer Squeal"er noun 1. One who, or that which, squeals.

2. (Zoology) (a) The European swift. (b) The harlequin duck. (c) The American golden plover.

Squeamish Squeam"ish adjective [ Middle English squaimous , sweymous , probably from Middle English sweem , swem , dizziness, a swimming in the head; confer Icelandic svemr a bustle, a stir, Norw. sveim a hovering about, a sickness that comes upon one, Icelandic svimi a giddiness, Anglo-Saxon swīmi . The word has been perhaps confused witrh qualmish . Confer Swim to be dizzy.] Having a stomach that is easily or nauseated; hence, nice to excess in taste; fastidious; easily disgusted; apt to be offended at trifling improprieties.

Quoth he, that honor's very squeamish
That takes a basting for a blemish.

Hudibras.

His muse is rustic, and perhaps too plain
The men of squeamish taste to entertain.

Southern.

So ye grow squeamish , Gods, and sniff at heaven.

M. Arnold.

Syn. -- Fastidious; dainty; overnice; scrupulous. See Fastidious .

-- Squeam"ish*ly , adverb -- Squeam"ish*ness , noun

Squeamous Squeam"ous adjective Squeamish. [ Obsolete]

Squeasiness Squea"si·ness noun Queasiness. [ Obsolete]

Squeasy Squea"sy adjective Queasy; nice; squeamish; fastidious; scrupulous. [ Obsolete] Bp. Earle.

Squeegee Squee"gee noun Same as Squilgee .

Squeegee Squee"gee transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squeegeed ; present participle & verbal noun Squeegeeing .] To smooth, press, or treat with a squeegee; to squilgee.

Squeegee roller Squeegee roller A small India-rubber roller with a handle, used esp. in printing and photography as a squeegee.

Squeeze Squeeze transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squeezed ; present participle & verbal noun Squeezing .] [ Middle English queisen , Anglo-Saxon cwēsan , cwȳsan , cwīsan , of uncertain origin. The s- was probably prefixed through the influence of squash , v.t.] 1. To press between two bodies; to press together closely; to compress; often, to compress so as to expel juice, moisture, etc.; as, to squeeze an orange with the fingers; to squeeze the hand in friendship.

2. Fig.: To oppress with hardships, burdens, or taxes; to harass; to crush.

In a civil war, people must expect to be crushed and squeezed toward the burden.

L'Estrange.

3. To force, or cause to pass, by compression; often with out , through , etc.; as, to squeeze water through felt.

Syn. -- To compress; hug; pinch; gripe; crowd.

Squeeze Squeeze intransitive verb To press; to urge one's way, or to pass, by pressing; to crowd; -- often with through , into , etc.; as, to squeeze hard to get through a crowd.

Squeeze Squeeze noun 1. The act of one who squeezes; compression between bodies; pressure.

2. A facsimile impression taken in some soft substance, as pulp, from an inscription on stone.

Squeeze Squeeze noun 1. (Mining) The gradual closing of workings by the weight of the overlying strata.

2. Pressure or constraint used to force the making of a gift, concession, or the like; exaction; extortion. [ Colloq.]

One of the many " squeezes " imposed by the mandarins.

A. R. Colquhoun.

Squeezer Squeez"er noun 1. One who, or that which, squeezes; as, a lemon squeezer .

2. (Forging) (a) A machine like a large pair of pliers, for shingling, or squeezing, the balls of metal when puddled; -- used only in the plural. (b) A machine of several forms for the same purpose; -- used in the singular.

Squeezing Squeez"ing noun 1. The act of pressing; compression; oppression.

2. plural That which is forced out by pressure; dregs.

3. Same as Squeeze , noun , 2.

Squelch Squelch transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Squelched ; present participle & verbal noun Squelching .] [ Confer prov. English quelch a blow, and quel to crush, to kill.] To quell; to crush; to silence or put down. [ Colloq.]

Oh 't was your luck and mine to be squelched .

Beau. & Fl.

If you deceive us you will be squelched .

Carlyle.

Squelch Squelch noun A heavy fall, as of something flat; hence, also, a crushing reply. [ Colloq.] Hudibras.

Squelch Squelch intransitive verb [ Perh. imitative. Confer Squelch .] To make a sound like that made by the feet of one walking in mud or slush; to make a kind of swashing sound; also, to move with such a sound.

He turned and strode to the fire, his boots squelching as he walked.

P. Latin Ford.

A crazy old collier squelching along under squared yards.

W. C. Russell.

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