Wikimore

See also: Laughter

English

Alternative forms

laughtre (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English Category:English terms inherited from Middle English#LAUGHTER Category:English terms derived from Middle English#LAUGHTER laughter, laghter, laȝter, from Old English Category:English terms inherited from Old English#LAUGHTER Category:English terms derived from Old English#LAUGHTER hleahtor (“laughter, jubilation, derision”), from Proto-Germanic Category:English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic#LAUGHTER Category:English terms derived from Proto-Germanic#LAUGHTER *hlahtraz (“laughter”), from Proto-Indo-European Category:English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#LAUGHTER *klek-, *kleg- (“to shout”). Cognate with German Gelächter (“laughter, hilarity, merriment”), Danish and Norwegian latter (“laughter”), Icelandic hlátur (“laughter”). More at laugh.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɑːftə/Category:English 2-syllable words#LAUGHTER Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#LAUGHTER
(General American) enPR: lăfʹtər, IPA^(key): /ˈlæftɚ/Category:English 2-syllable words#LAUGHTER Category:English terms with IPA pronunciation#LAUGHTER
Audio (US): (file)
Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#LAUGHTER
Rhymes: -ɑːftə(ɹ), -æftə(ɹ)Category:Rhymes:English/ɑːftə(ɹ)#LAUGHTER Category:Rhymes:English/ɑːftə(ɹ)/2 syllables#LAUGHTER Category:Rhymes:English/æftə(ɹ)#LAUGHTER

Noun

English Wikipedia has an article on:

laughter

Wikipedia

laughter (usually uncountable, plural laughters)Category:English lemmas#LAUGHTER Category:English nouns#LAUGHTER Category:English uncountable nouns#LAUGHTER Category:English countable nouns#LAUGHTER Category:English entries with incorrect language header#LAUGHTER Category:Pages with entries#LAUGHTER Category:Pages with 2 entries#LAUGHTER

a person's laughter

Category:Entries with audio examples

The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.
Their loud laughter betrayed their presence.Category:English terms with usage examples#LAUGHTER
- 1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock:
  There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town.
  Category:English terms with quotations#LAUGHTER
A movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the laughing face, particularly of the lips, and of the whole body, 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.
- 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC:
  The act of laughter, which is caused by 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.
  Category:English terms with quotations#LAUGHTER
- 1858 October 16, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Courtship of Miles Standish”, in The Courtship of Miles Standish, and Other Poems, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
  Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter.
  Category:English terms with quotations#LAUGHTER
(archaic Category:English terms with archaic senses#LAUGHTER) A reason for merriment.

Derived terms

Related terms

laugh

Translations

sound (as) of laughing

Category:Entries with translation boxes#LAUGHTER

Abkhaz: аччара (aččara)Category:Terms with Abkhaz translations#LAUGHTER
Albanian: qeshje (sq) fCategory:Terms with Albanian translations#LAUGHTER, gajasje fCategory:Terms with Albanian translations#LAUGHTER
Amharic: ሳቅ (saḳ)Category:Terms with Amharic translations#LAUGHTER
Arabic: ضَحِك (ar) m (ḍaḥik)Category:Terms with Arabic translations#LAUGHTER, ضِحْك (ar) m (ḍiḥk)Category:Terms with Arabic translations#LAUGHTER
Armenian: քրքիջ (hy) (kʻrkʻiǰ)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#LAUGHTER, ծիծաղ (hy) (cicaġ)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#LAUGHTER
Aromanian: arãsCategory:Terms with Aromanian translations#LAUGHTER
Azerbaijani: gülüş (az)Category:Terms with Azerbaijani translations#LAUGHTER, qəhqəhəCategory:Terms with Azerbaijani translations#LAUGHTER
Basque: barreCategory:Terms with Basque translations#LAUGHTER
Belarusian: смех m (smjex)Category:Terms with Belarusian translations#LAUGHTER, ро́гат m (róhat)Category:Terms with Belarusian translations#LAUGHTER
Bengali: হাসি (bn) (haśi)Category:Terms with Bengali translations#LAUGHTER
Bulgarian: смях (bg) m (smjah)Category:Terms with Bulgarian translations#LAUGHTER
Burmese: ရယ်မောခြင်း (raimau:hkrang:)Category:Terms with Burmese translations#LAUGHTER
Catalan: riure (ca) mCategory:Terms with Catalan translations#LAUGHTER, rialla (ca) fCategory:Terms with Catalan translations#LAUGHTER, riallada (ca) fCategory:Terms with Catalan translations#LAUGHTER
Chinese:
Mandarin: 笑聲 / 笑声 (zh) (xiàoshēng)Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations#LAUGHTER Category:Terms with Mandarin translations#LAUGHTER
Czech: smích (cs) mCategory:Terms with Czech translations#LAUGHTER
Danish: latter (da) cCategory:Terms with Danish translations#LAUGHTER
Dutch: gelach (nl) nCategory:Terms with Dutch translations#LAUGHTER
Esperanto: ridadoCategory:Terms with Esperanto translations#LAUGHTER
Estonian: naer (et)Category:Terms with Estonian translations#LAUGHTER
Finnish: nauru (fi)Category:Terms with Finnish translations#LAUGHTER
French: rire (fr) mCategory:Terms with French translations#LAUGHTER
Friulian: ridadeCategory:Terms with Friulian translations#LAUGHTER, ridiCategory:Terms with Friulian translations#LAUGHTER
Galician: risa fCategory:Terms with Galician translations#LAUGHTER
Georgian: სიცილი (sicili)Category:Terms with Georgian translations#LAUGHTER
German: Gelächter (de) nCategory:Terms with German translations#LAUGHTER, Lachen (de) nCategory:Terms with German translations#LAUGHTER
Greek: γέλιο (el) n (gélio)Category:Terms with Greek translations#LAUGHTER
Ancient Greek: γέλως m (gélōs)Category:Terms with Ancient Greek translations#LAUGHTER
Hebrew: צְחוֹק (he) m (ts'khok)Category:Terms with Hebrew translations#LAUGHTER
Higaonon: potawaCategory:Terms with Higaonon translations#LAUGHTER
Hindi: हंसी (hi) f (hansī)Category:Terms with Hindi translations#LAUGHTER
Hungarian: nevetés (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#LAUGHTER
Icelandic: hlátur (is) mCategory:Terms with Icelandic translations#LAUGHTER
Indonesian: tawa (id)Category:Terms with Indonesian translations#LAUGHTER, ketawa (id)Category:Terms with Indonesian translations#LAUGHTER, gelak (id)Category:Terms with Indonesian translations#LAUGHTER
Irish: gáire mCategory:Terms with Irish translations#LAUGHTER
Italian: risata (it) fCategory:Terms with Italian translations#LAUGHTER, riso (it) mCategory:Terms with Italian translations#LAUGHTER
Japanese: 笑い声 (ja) (わらいごえ, waraigoe)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#LAUGHTER, 笑い (ja) (わらい, warai)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#LAUGHTER
Javanese: guyu (jv)Category:Terms with Javanese translations#LAUGHTER
Kazakh: күлкі (külkı)Category:Terms with Kazakh translations#LAUGHTER
Khmer: សំណើច (km) (sɑmnaəc)Category:Terms with Khmer translations#LAUGHTER, ក្អាក (km) (k’aak)Category:Terms with Khmer translations#LAUGHTER, ហស (km) (hɑh)Category:Terms with Khmer translations#LAUGHTER, ហាស (km) (haah)Category:Terms with Khmer translations#LAUGHTER
Korean: 웃음 (ko) (useum)Category:Terms with Korean translations#LAUGHTER
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: ken (ku)Category:Terms with Northern Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER
Kyrgyz: күлкү (ky) (külkü)Category:Terms with Kyrgyz translations#LAUGHTER, кулуу (kuluu)Category:Terms with Kyrgyz translations#LAUGHTER
Lao: ສຽງຫົວ (sīang hūa)Category:Terms with Lao translations#LAUGHTER
Latin: rīsus (la) mCategory:Terms with Latin translations#LAUGHTER, cachinnus mCategory:Terms with Latin translations#LAUGHTER
Latvian: smiekli m plCategory:Terms with Latvian translations#LAUGHTER
Lithuanian: juõkas (lt) mCategory:Terms with Lithuanian translations#LAUGHTER
Low German: Lachen nCategory:Terms with Low German translations#LAUGHTER
Macedonian: сме́а (mk) f (sméa)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#LAUGHTER
Malay: ketawa (ms)Category:Terms with Malay translations#LAUGHTER
Maltese: daħq mCategory:Terms with Maltese translations#LAUGHTER
Marathi: हास्य n (hāsya)Category:Marathi terms with redundant transliterations#LAUGHTER Category:Terms with Marathi translations#LAUGHTER
Middle English: laughterCategory:Terms with Middle English translations#LAUGHTER
Mongolian: инээд (mn) (ineed)Category:Terms with Mongolian translations#LAUGHTER
Navajo: dlohCategory:Terms with Navajo translations#LAUGHTER
Norwegian: latter (no)Category:Terms with Norwegian translations#LAUGHTER
Occitan: ris (oc)Category:Terms with Occitan translations#LAUGHTER, risadaCategory:Terms with Occitan translations#LAUGHTER
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: смѣхъ m (směxŭ)Category:Terms with Old Church Slavonic translations#LAUGHTER
Old East Slavic: смѣхъ m (směxŭ)Category:Terms with Old East Slavic translations#LAUGHTER
Old English: hleahtor mCategory:Terms with Old English translations#LAUGHTER
Oromo: kolfaCategory:Terms with Oromo translations#LAUGHTER
Persian: خنده (fa) (xande)Category:Terms with Persian translations#LAUGHTER
Polish: śmiech (pl) mCategory:Terms with Polish translations#LAUGHTER
Portuguese: risada (pt) fCategory:Terms with Portuguese translations#LAUGHTER, risos mCategory:Terms with Portuguese translations#LAUGHTER
Punjabi: ਹਾਸਾ m (hāsā)Category:Terms with Punjabi translations#LAUGHTER, ਹਲਰਾ m (halrā)Category:Terms with Punjabi translations#LAUGHTER
Quechua: asiy (qu)Category:Terms with Quechua translations#LAUGHTER
Romanian: râs (ro) nCategory:Terms with Romanian translations#LAUGHTER, râset (ro)Category:Terms with Romanian translations#LAUGHTER
Romansh: riezCategory:Terms with Romansh translations#LAUGHTER, riözCategory:Terms with Romansh translations#LAUGHTER, riemCategory:Terms with Romansh translations#LAUGHTER, risadaCategory:Terms with Romansh translations#LAUGHTER, risagliaCategory:Terms with Romansh translations#LAUGHTER
Russian: смех (ru) m (smex)Category:Terms with Russian translations#LAUGHTER, хо́хот (ru) m (xóxot)Category:Terms with Russian translations#LAUGHTER
Sami:
Skolt Sami: smiâhhCategory:Terms with Skolt Sami translations#LAUGHTER
Sanskrit: हास (sa) m (hāsa)Category:Terms with Sanskrit translations#LAUGHTER
Sardinian: risidaCategory:Terms with Sardinian translations#LAUGHTER
Scottish Gaelic: gàire fCategory:Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations#LAUGHTER
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: сме̑х mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER, смије̑х mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER, хихот mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER, кикот mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER

Latin: smȇh mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER, smijȇh (sh) mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER, hȉhōt (sh) mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER, kȉkōt (sh) mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER
Sinhalese: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Sinhalese#LAUGHTER
Slovak: smiech (sk) mCategory:Terms with Slovak translations#LAUGHTER
Slovene: smeh (sl) mCategory:Terms with Slovene translations#LAUGHTER
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: směch mCategory:Terms with Lower Sorbian translations#LAUGHTER

Upper Sorbian: směch mCategory:Terms with Upper Sorbian translations#LAUGHTER
Spanish: risa (es)Category:Terms with Spanish translations#LAUGHTER
Swedish: skratt (sv) nCategory:Terms with Swedish translations#LAUGHTER
Tagalog: tawaCategory:Terms with Tagalog translations#LAUGHTER
Tajik: ханда (tg) (xanda)Category:Terms with Tajik translations#LAUGHTER
Thai: เสียงหัวเราะ (sǐang hǔa rɔ́)Category:Terms with Thai translations#LAUGHTER
Turkish: kahkaha (tr)Category:Terms with Turkish translations#LAUGHTER, gülüş (tr)Category:Terms with Turkish translations#LAUGHTER
Turkmen: gülkiCategory:Terms with Turkmen translations#LAUGHTER, jakyrdyCategory:Terms with Turkmen translations#LAUGHTER
Ugaritic: 𐎕𐎈𐎖 (ṣḥq)Category:Terms with Ugaritic translations#LAUGHTER
Ukrainian: сміх m (smix)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#LAUGHTER, ре́гіт m (réhit)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#LAUGHTER
Umbuygamu: alalCategory:Terms with Umbuygamu translations#LAUGHTER
Urdu: ہنسی f (hansī)Category:Terms with Urdu translations#LAUGHTER
Uzbek: kulgi (uz)Category:Terms with Uzbek translations#LAUGHTER, kulish (uz)Category:Terms with Uzbek translations#LAUGHTER, qahqaha (uz)Category:Terms with Uzbek translations#LAUGHTER
Vietnamese: sự cười (vi)Category:Terms with Vietnamese translations#LAUGHTER, tiếng cườiCategory:Terms with Vietnamese translations#LAUGHTER
Yiddish: געלעכטער (gelekhter)Category:Terms with Yiddish translations#LAUGHTER

movement of the muscles of the laughing face

Category:Entries with translation boxes#LAUGHTER

Armenian: ծիծաղ (hy) (cicaġ)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#LAUGHTER, քրքիջ (hy) (kʻrkʻiǰ)Category:Terms with Armenian translations#LAUGHTER
Catalan: rialla (ca) fCategory:Terms with Catalan translations#LAUGHTER, riure (ca) mCategory:Terms with Catalan translations#LAUGHTER
Chinese:
Mandarin: 笑 (zh) (xiào)Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations#LAUGHTER Category:Terms with Mandarin translations#LAUGHTER
Czech: smích (cs) mCategory:Terms with Czech translations#LAUGHTER
Danish: grin nCategory:Terms with Danish translations#LAUGHTER
Dutch: gelach (nl) nCategory:Terms with Dutch translations#LAUGHTER, lachen (nl) nCategory:Terms with Dutch translations#LAUGHTER
Finnish: nauru (fi)Category:Terms with Finnish translations#LAUGHTER
French: rire (fr) mCategory:Terms with French translations#LAUGHTER
German: Gelächter (de) nCategory:Terms with German translations#LAUGHTER, Lachen (de) nCategory:Terms with German translations#LAUGHTER
Greek: γέλιο (el) n (gélio)Category:Terms with Greek translations#LAUGHTER
Ancient Greek: γέλως m (gélōs)Category:Terms with Ancient Greek translations#LAUGHTER
Hungarian: nevetés (hu)Category:Terms with Hungarian translations#LAUGHTER
Irish: gáire mCategory:Terms with Irish translations#LAUGHTER
Italian: risata (it) fCategory:Terms with Italian translations#LAUGHTER
Japanese: 笑い (ja) (わらい, warai)Category:Terms with Japanese translations#LAUGHTER
Khmer: សំណើច (km) (sɑmnaəc)Category:Terms with Khmer translations#LAUGHTER
Lao: ສຽງຫົວ (sīang hūa)Category:Terms with Lao translations#LAUGHTER
Latin: rīsus (la) mCategory:Terms with Latin translations#LAUGHTER
Macedonian: смеа (mk) f (smea)Category:Terms with Macedonian translations#LAUGHTER
Navajo: dlohCategory:Terms with Navajo translations#LAUGHTER
Polish: śmiech (pl) mCategory:Terms with Polish translations#LAUGHTER
Portuguese: risada (pt) fCategory:Terms with Portuguese translations#LAUGHTER, riso (pt) mCategory:Terms with Portuguese translations#LAUGHTER
Quechua: asiy (qu)Category:Terms with Quechua translations#LAUGHTER
Russian: смех (ru) m (smex)Category:Terms with Russian translations#LAUGHTER
Sami:
Skolt Sami: smiâhhCategory:Terms with Skolt Sami translations#LAUGHTER
Scottish Gaelic: gàire fCategory:Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations#LAUGHTER
Serbo-Croatian: smijȇh (sh) mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER
Swedish: skratt (sv) nCategory:Terms with Swedish translations#LAUGHTER
Tagalog: pagtawaCategory:Terms with Tagalog translations#LAUGHTER
Ukrainian: сміх m (smix)Category:Terms with Ukrainian translations#LAUGHTER
Vietnamese: please add this translation if you canCategory:Requests for translations into Vietnamese#LAUGHTER

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Category:Entries with translation boxes#LAUGHTER

Afrikaans: ^{(please verify)} lag (af)Category:Terms with Afrikaans translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Afrikaans translations#LAUGHTER, ^{(please verify)} gelagCategory:Terms with Afrikaans translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Afrikaans translations#LAUGHTER
Albanian: ^{(please verify)} gaz (sq) mCategory:Terms with Albanian translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Albanian translations#LAUGHTER
Breton: ^{(please verify)} c'hoarzh (br) mCategory:Terms with Breton translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Breton translations#LAUGHTER
Guarani:
Paraguayan Guarani: ^{(please verify)} pukaCategory:Terms with Paraguayan Guarani translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Paraguayan Guarani translations#LAUGHTER
Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} hlátur (is) mCategory:Terms with Icelandic translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Icelandic translations#LAUGHTER
Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} risoCategory:Terms with Interlingua translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Interlingua translations#LAUGHTER
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} پێکەنین (pêkenîn)Category:Terms with Central Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Central Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER, ^{(please verify)} قاقاو پێکەنین (qaqaw pêkenîn)Category:Terms with Central Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Central Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER

Northern Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} ken (ku) mCategory:Terms with Northern Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Northern Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER (1 and 2), ^{(please verify)} kenîn (ku) fCategory:Terms with Northern Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Northern Kurdish translations#LAUGHTER (1 and 2)
Latin: ^{(please verify)} risus (la) mCategory:Terms with Latin translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Latin translations#LAUGHTER
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} râs (ro) nCategory:Terms with Romanian translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Romanian translations#LAUGHTER
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} smijeh (sh) mCategory:Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Serbo-Croatian translations#LAUGHTER
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} risa (es) fCategory:Terms with Spanish translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Spanish translations#LAUGHTER
Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} tiếng cườiCategory:Terms with Vietnamese translations#LAUGHTER Category:Requests for review of Vietnamese translations#LAUGHTER

Anagrams

laughtre

Category:en:Laughter#LAUGHTER

Middle English

Laughter; the production of laughs or snickers.
- a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “Book IV”, in Troilus and Criseyde, lines 862–868:
  She was right swich to seen in hir visage / As is that wight that men on bere binde / Hir face, lyk of Paradys the image / Was al y-chaunged in another kinde. / The pleye, the laughtre men was wont to finde / On hir, and eek hir Ioyes everychone, / Ben fled, and thus lyth now Criseyde allone.
  She was such to see in her visage / like that woman that men on a bier notice; / Her face which was the image of Paradise / had totally changed to another kind; / the play, the laughter men tended to find / on her, and all her joys as well / had left, and there Cressida now lies alone.
  Category:Middle English terms with quotations#LAUGHTER
An instance or bout of laughing or laughter.
A humorous matter; something worthy of being derided.

Descendants

English: laughter
Scots: lachter, lauchter

References

“laughter, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 19 July 2018.

Category:enm:Emotions#LAUGHTER Category:enm:Laughter#LAUGHTER