Outcrye

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A loud shout or vocalization ; a public expression of anger or disapproval
2. A forceful cry or call ; widespread complaint or uproar from the public
3. An emphatic yell or exclamation ; collective vocal opposition or grievance

Etymology: "Outcrye" is an older spelling of "outcry," a word built from "out" and "cry." It is a noun that has meant a loud protest or clamour since the Middle English period, and the spelling with a final "e" reflects the medieval habit of writing many words that way. The "cry" half comes through Old French "crier" from Latin "quiritare," a verb for wailing or calling for help, and "out" in the compound intensifies the sound, so an outcry is a cry that carries beyond the crowd. The compound is transparent, with no special coinage behind it. One earlier sense is less familiar today. Around the 16th and 17th centuries, "outcry" could also mean a public auction, where goods were sold to whoever bid loudest, and "to sell by outcry" was an ordinary phrase. The auction sense faded, but it shows how a shout of prices and a shout of protest once overlapped in the word's use.

Synonyms: outcry, outcry