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chortle

   Also found in: Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
chor·tle  (chôrtl)
n.
A snorting, joyful laugh or chuckle.
intr. & tr.v. chor·tled, chor·tling, chor·tles
To utter a chortle or express with a chortle.

[Blend of chuckle and snort.]

chortler n.
Word History: "'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy." Perhaps Lewis Carroll would chortle a bit himself to find that people are still using the word chortle, which he coined in Through the Looking-Glass, published in 1872. In any case, Carroll had constructed his word well, combining the words chuckle and snort. This type of word is called a blend or a portmanteau word. In Through the Looking-Glass Humpty Dumpty uses portmanteau to describe the word slithy, saying, "It's like a portmanteauthere are two meanings packed up into one word" (the meanings being "lithe" and "slimy").

chortle [ˈtʃɔːtəl]
vb
(intr) to chuckle gleefully
n
a gleeful chuckle
[coined (1871) by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking-glass; probably a blend of chuckle + snort]
chortler  n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.chortle - a soft partly suppressed laugh
laugh, laughter - the sound of laughing
Verb1.chortle - laugh quietly or with restraint
express joy, express mirth, laugh - produce laughter

chortle
verb
chuckle, laugh, cackle, guffaw He began chortling like an idiot.
noun
chuckle, laugh, cackle, guffaw The old man broke into a wheezy chortle of amusement.
Translations
chortle [ˈtʃɔːtl]
A. Nrisa f alegre
B. VIreírse alegremente
to chortle over sthreírse satisfecho por algo
chortle [ˈtʃɔːrtəl] viglousser
chortle
vigluckern, glucksen; he was chortling over the articleer lachte in sich hinein or vor sich hin, als er den Artikel las
nGluckser m
chortle [ˈtʃɔːtl] viridacchiare, fare risolini
chortle [ˈtʃɔːtl] viridacchiare, fare risolini


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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
A hearty guffaw, a long-winded chortle, and the release of that gas bubble that gave you insomnia last night are waiting for you on the reading of Coffin To Fakie.
Sometimes, it's minor stuff, like listening to a sexist/racist jerk at the country club telling jokes that he wouldn't be able to tell anywhere else -- and then finding yourself having to chortle at his obscenities because, after all, he's your boss' best friend.
Many a tense negotiation was eased by his infectious chortle, always deployed in timely fashion.
 
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