laughter

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Contents

English

Etymology

Old English hleahtor, from Proto-Germanic *hlahtroz. Cognate with German lachen, Dutch (ge)lach(en), Icelandic hlátur, Danish latter.

Pronunciation

Noun

Wikipedia has an article on: Laughter

Wikipedia laughter (usually uncountable; plural laughters)

  1. The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.
    Their loud laughter betrayed their presence
  2. A movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the laughing face, particularly of the lips, with a peculiar expression of the eyes, indicating merriment, satisfaction or derision, and usually attended by a sonorous and interrupted expulsion of air from the lungs.
    • The act of laughter, which is a sweet contraction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocal organs, is not merely, or totally within the jurisdiction of ourselves. - Sir Thomas Browne
    • Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  3. (archaic) A reason for merriment

Related terms

 

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