1.
[syn: laughing(a), riant]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Laugh \Laugh\ (l[aum]f), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Laughed
(l[aum]ft); p. pr. & vb. n. Laughing.] [OE. laughen,
laghen, lauhen, AS. hlehhan, hlihhan, hlyhhan, hliehhan; akin
to OS. hlahan, D. & G. lachen, OHG. hlahhan, lahhan,
lahh[=e]n, Icel. hl[ae]ja,W Dan. lee, Sw. le, Goth. hlahjan;
perh. of imitative origin.]
1. To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar
movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the
mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and eyes, and
usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or
chuckling sounds from the chest and throat; to indulge in
laughter.
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Queen Hecuba laughed that her eyes ran o'er. --Shak.
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He laugheth that winneth. --Heywood's
Prov.
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2. Fig.: To be or appear gay, cheerful, pleasant, mirthful,
lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.
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Then laughs the childish year, with flowerets
crowned. --Dryden.
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In Folly's cup still laughs the bubble Joy. --Pope.
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To laugh at, to make an object of laughter or ridicule; to
make fun of; to deride.
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No wit to flatter left of all his store,
No fool to laugh at, which he valued more. --Pope.
To laugh in the sleeve, To laugh up one's sleeve, to
laugh secretly, or so as not to be observed, especially
while apparently preserving a grave or serious demeanor
toward the person or persons laughed at.
To laugh out, to laugh in spite of some restraining
influence; to laugh aloud.
To laugh out of the other corner of the mouth or To laugh
out of the other side of the mouth, to weep or cry; to feel
regret, vexation, or disappointment after hilarity or
exaltation. [Slang]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Laughing \Laugh"ing\, a. & n.
from Laugh, v. i.
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Laughing falcon (Zool.), a South American hawk
(Herpetotheres cachinnans); -- so called from its notes,
which resemble a shrill laugh.
Laughing gas (Chem.), nitrous oxide, also called
hyponitrous oxide, or protoxide of nitrogen; -- so called
from the exhilaration and laughing which it sometimes
produces when inhaled. It has been much used as an
anaesthetic agent, though now its use is primarily in
dentistry
Laughing goose (Zool.), the European white-fronted goose.
Laughing gull. (Zool.)
(a) A common European gull (Xema ridibundus); -- called
also pewit, black cap, red-legged gull, and sea
crow.
(b) An American gull (Larus atricilla). In summer the head
is nearly black, the back slate color, and the five outer
primaries black.
Laughing hyena (Zool.), the spotted hyena. See Hyena.
Laughing jackass (Zool.), the great brown kingfisher
(Dacelo gigas), of Australia; -- called also giant
kingfisher, and gogobera.
Laughing owl (Zool.), a peculiar owl (Sceloglaux
albifacies) of New Zealand, said to be on the verge of
extinction. The name alludes to its notes.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
laughing
adj 1: showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness;
"laughing children" [syn: laughing(a), riant]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
90 Moby Thesaurus words for "laughing":
Homeric laughter, beaming, beatific, beatified, belly laugh,
blessed, blissful, blithe, blithesome, boff, boffola, bright,
bright and sunny, burst of laughter, cachinnation, cackle,
capering, cheerful, cheery, chirping, chortle, chuckle, convulsion,
crow, dancing, elated, eupeptic, euphoric, exalted, exhilarated,
fit of laughter, flushed, flushed with joy, gales of laughter, gay,
genial, giggle, glad, gladsome, glowing, guffaw, ha-ha, happy,
hearty laugh, hee-haw, hee-hee, high, hilarity, ho-ho, hopeful,
horselaugh, in good spirits, in high spirits, irrepressible,
joyful, joyous, laugh, laughter, leaping, of good cheer,
optimistic, outburst of laughter, peal of laughter, pleasant,
purring, radiant, riant, risibility, roar of laughter, rosy,
sanguine, sanguineous, shout, shout of laughter, shriek, singing,
smiling, smirking, snicker, snigger, snort, sparkling, starry-eyed,
sunny, tee-hee, thrice happy, titter, winsome, yuck, yuk-yuk