squawk

Unknown [from 1821], but probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco (“small-crested heron”)).

• IPA^(key): /skwɔːk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːk
• homophone: squark in non-rhotic dialects

squawk (plural squawks)

1. A shrill noise, especially made by a voice or bird; a yell, scream, or call.
2. (aviation) A four-digit transponder code used by aircraft for identification or transmission of emergency signals.
3. (aviation) An issue or complaint related to aircraft maintenance.
4. The American night heron.
5. (programming, informal) A warning message indicating a possible error.
   • 2012, Scott Meyers, Effective C++ Digital Collection: 140 Ways to Improve Your Programming

     The function-hiding code above, for instance, goes through a different (but widely used) compiler with nary a squawk.

squawk (third-person singular simple present squawks, present participle squawking, simple past and past participle squawked)

1. To make a squawking noise; to yell, scream, or call out shrilly.
   • 1945 August 17, George Orwell, chapter 6, in Animal Farm: A Fairy Story, London: Secker & Warburg, OCLC 3655473:

     The hens woke up squawking with terror because they had all dreamed simultaneously of hearing a gun go off in the distance.

2. To speak out; to protest.
3. To report an infraction; to rat on or tattle; to disclose a secret.
4. (programming, informal) To produce a warning message, indicating a possible error.
   • 1993, Steve Maguire, Writing Solid Code

     That way, if you type = instead of ==, the compiler will squawk because you can't assign something to a constant.

   • 2013, Bill Sempf, ‎Chuck Sphar, ‎Stephen R. Davis, C# 5.0 All-in-One For Dummies

     You want the compiler to squawk if you try to instantiate for a type that doesn't implement IPrioritizable.

5. (aviation) To set or transmit a four-digit transponder code. (Normally followed by the specific code in question.)