laughter — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.

   Usage

   • Uncountable
   • usually

   Examples

   Their loud laughter betrayed their presence.

   There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town.

2. 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.

   Usage

   • Uncountable
   • usually

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

   Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter.

3. A reason for merriment.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Uncountable
   • usually

Noun

1. the sound of laughing

   Synonyms

   laugh

   Broader terms

   utterancevocalization

2. the activity of laughing; the manifestation of joy or mirth or scorn

   Broader terms

   activity

   Examples

   he enjoyed the laughter of the crowd