chortle

English

WOTD – 5 April 2006

Etymology

Perhaps a blend of chuckle +‎ snort. Coined by Lewis Carroll in his poem Jabberwocky, first published in 1855 but only introduced to the public in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass.

Pronunciation

(US) enPR: chôr'təl, IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɔɹtəl/, [ˈt͡ʃɔɹɾɫ̩]
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)təl

Noun

chortle (plural chortles)

A joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle.
He frequently interrupted himself with chortles while he told us his favorite joke.
A similar sounding vocalisation of various birds.

Synonyms

chuckle

Translations

joyful, somewhat muffled laugh

Bulgarian: кикотене (bg) n (kikotene)
Dutch: luidruchtig grinniken, verkneukelen m
Finnish: hörötys (fi)
French: gloussement (fr) m
German: glucksen (de)
Norwegian: humring c, klukklatter m, snøfting c
Serbo-Croatian: cerekanje (sh)
Spanish: carcajada (es) f

Verb

chortle (third-person singular simple present chortles, present participle chortling, simple past and past participle chortled)

(intransitive) To laugh with a chortle or chortles.
The old fellow chortled as he recalled his youthful adventures.
- 1871 — Lewis Carroll, Jabberwocky
  'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy.

Synonyms

chuckle
See also Thesaurus:laugh

Translations

to laugh with a chortle or chortles

Bulgarian: кикотя се (kikotja se)
Finnish: höröttää (fi), hörähtää (momentane)
French: glousser (fr)
Icelandic: hneggja af hlátri, rýta af hlátri
Kannada: Kushiada Nage (Kushiada Nage)
Norwegian: humre (no), klukkle, snøfte