English Explanatory Dictionary

chortle

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle.
  2. A similar sounding vocalisation of various birds.
verb
  1. To laugh with a chortle or chortles.

Pronunciation

chôr'təl /ˈt͡ʃɔɹtəl/ [ˈt͡ʃɔɹɾɫ̩] en-us-chortle.ogg en-au-chortle.ogg

Word forms

chortle chortles chortling chortled

Etymology

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

Synonyms

chuckle

Derived words

chortler chortlingly snortle
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