1. A harsh, shrill, grating, or creaking sound.
2. Pathology. A harsh, high-pitched sound in inhalation or exhalation.

[Latin strīdor, from strīdēre, to make harsh sounds, ultimately of imitative origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.