Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To laugh quietly or to oneself.
- intransitive verb To cluck or chuck, as a hen.
- noun A quiet laugh of mild amusement or satisfaction.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To make a clucking sound, as a hen.
- To laugh in a suppressed, covert, or sly manner; express inward satisfaction, derision, or exultation by subdued laughter.
- To call by chucking or clucking, as a hen her chicks.
- as a chuckle.
- noun The call of a hen to her young; a cluck.
- noun A sly suppressed laugh, expressive of satisfaction, exultation, or the like; hence, any similar sound.
- To rock upon its center while rotating, as the runner of a grinding-mill.
- To chuck under the chin; fondle.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A short, suppressed laugh; the expression of satisfaction, exultation, or derision.
- intransitive verb To laugh in a suppressed or broken manner, as expressing inward satisfaction, exultation, or derision.
- transitive verb obsolete To call, as a hen her chickens; to cluck.
- transitive verb obsolete To fondle; to cocker.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A quiet
laugh . - verb To laugh quietly or inwardly.
- verb archaic Sounds made by
chicken .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb laugh quietly or with restraint
- noun a soft partly suppressed laugh
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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* chuckle, chuckle* by Tom Murphy on Monday, Dec 8, 2008 at 2: 53: 02 PM
OpEdNews - Quicklink: New World Trade Center Collapse Videos 2008
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What makes me chuckle is how Microsoft Excel has become the modern-day weapon of choice for any discerning would-be Senior Leadership Team ‘member’ – there are spreadsheets for this, spreadsheets for that – hell, they probably even have starched spreadsheets on their beds.
Names Will Never Hurt You « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2009
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Thompson is such a wry, friendly presence that his every utterance draws a chuckle from the faithful (most of the time a deserved one, though sometimes he'll say "thanks" and they'll still be in stitches).
Michael Giltz: Music: Richard Thompson at Town Hall Michael Giltz 2010
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Thompson is such a wry, friendly presence that his every utterance draws a chuckle from the faithful (most of the time a deserved one, though sometimes he'll say "thanks" and they'll still be in stitches).
Michael Giltz: Music: Richard Thompson at Town Hall Michael Giltz 2010
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Also recommended, if you like a good chuckle is his Nobel-nominated novel “The Phases of Harry Moon,” which you can find if you look.
Happy Birthday Stephen King and H. G. Wells... deep_bluze 2005
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The latest chuckle from the radical right lobbying group "Family Research Council", via their email update list today: In a tale of ironic tragedy a new study reveals that the Democratic Party is literally killing its political base.
06/30/2004 2004
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HOUSTON Jake Delhomme has to laugh, a Cajun chuckle from the heart.
USATODAY.com - Leadership: Davis inspires on both sides of ball 2004
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They expected to get dashed to death at the bottom as they went flying down past the different floors, and heard a fiendish chuckle from the Frenchman above their heads.
The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler or, Working for the Custom House Francis Worcester Doughty 1883
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Falco's hooker-girlfriend wants enough money to send her son to a decent school; the john whom Falco sets her up with only wants a "chuckle" - a moment of sexual fun to help him forget who he is.
Eurozine articles 2010
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Space dust hasn’t changed much over time and there isn’t much of it (Alley’s deadpan delivery of this line raised a chuckle from the audience).
rawles commented on the word chuckle
Blech. The use of this word evokes a laugh that is both smug and vaguely sinister. Auditorily, it's a very wet, guttural word, akin to coughing up phlegm.
May 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chuckle
I agree. Funny though, usually when I see this word it's in reference to a cute little restrained girly-type laugh, and yet for me it conjures images of horror-movie clowns freakishly popping out of darkened corners. Perhaps because of the similarity in names, I also think of Chucky from Child's Play.
May 21, 2007
rawles commented on the word chuckle
That's odd that you see it in reference to feminine laughter since I almost exclusively see it used (and perceive it) in reference to men. Essentially, it's the masculine version of a giggle. It actually bothers me a lot because, in writing, I'm often compelled to use "chuckle" even though I dislike the word because I can't really think of another one for mildly amused manlaughter.
May 23, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chuckle
It's not something I've really given much thought to. I suppose it's somewhat gender-neutral, meaning anyone can do it... but when I say girly I guess I'm thinking of a quiet, shy type of laugh, similar to a giggle, a characteristic of girlishness. Maybe that's my patriarchal bias. ;-)
Though I would submit that snicker is a good word for mildly amused manlaughter.
May 23, 2007
reesetee commented on the word chuckle
That's it--someone has to add manlaughter to his/her Wordie list.
May 24, 2007
ipodrulz commented on the word chuckle
When I think "chuckle" I think man version of "giggle". Either way it's an awesome word.
April 21, 2009
thesaraheffect commented on the word chuckle
I would consider snicker a much more malicious kind of laughter than chuckle though neither is particularly desirable. Why is it that laughter-related words are nearly universally unpleasant? guffaw, cackle, snigger, titter, chortle
September 17, 2009
john commented on the word chuckle
The part of the pig between the tail and anus, according to Kenneth.
November 25, 2009
Louises commented on the word chuckle
See susurrations
March 25, 2012