Meaning

noun a high-pitched howl

verb utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs

verb confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

originInherited from Middle English squelen, probably from Old Norse skvala (“to squeal, bawl”), from Proto-Germanic *skwel- (“to chatter, babble, scream”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *skel-, from *kelh₁- (“to ring, resound, cry”). Compare Old Norse skval (“a squeal”, noun), Swedish skvallra (“to babble, chatter, tell on”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0