stridor

plural stridors

1. countableuncountableA harsh, shrill, unpleasant noise.

   1 more example

   But when the tilted plank let slide its freight into the sea, a second strange human murmur was heard, blended now with another inarticulate sound proceeding from certain larger sea-fowl, whose attention having been attracted by the peculiar commotion in the water resulting from the heavy sloped dive of the shotted hammock into the sea, flew screaming to the spot. So near the hull did they come, that the stridor or bony creak of their gaunt double-jointed pinions was audible.

   1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter XXVIII.”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC

2. countableuncountablemedicineA high-pitched sound heard on inspiration resulting from turbulent air flow in the upper airway usually indicative of serious airway obstruction.

   Her breath-holding increased in duration to almost a minute; her expirations became complicated by stridor, forced retching, and forced phonations ('Oouuggh!').

   1973, Oliver Sacks, Awakenings, New York: Vintage, published 1999, page 50