# chuckle

Pronunciation: say "CHUK-uhl" /ˈt͡ʃʌkəl/

## Verb

1. To laugh quietly or under your breath, often to yourself.
   - Simple: To laugh in a quiet, soft way.
   - _Old friends chuckle at jokes only they remember._
   - _He chuckled to himself while reading the letter._
3. To express or convey something by chuckling.
   - Simple: To say something while laughing quietly.
   - _The grandparents chuckle their fond memories to anyone who listens._
   - _He chuckled a soft warning before changing the subject._

## Noun

2. A low, quiet laugh.
   - Simple: A soft, quiet laugh.
   - _His remark drew a quiet chuckle from the audience._
   - _A few chuckles rippled through the meeting._

## Verb

4. To make the clucking sound characteristic of a chicken. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To make the clucking sound that a chicken makes.
   - _The brood hens chuckle contentedly among the straw._
   - _A hen chuckled low as she settled over her eggs._
5. To call others together, or call them to follow, in the way a hen clucks to gather or lead her chicks. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To call a group to come together or to follow, the way a hen clucks to her chicks.
   - _The hens chuckle their broods toward the feeding trough each morning._
   - _The hen chuckled her chicks under her wings as the hawk circled._
6. To fondle, indulge, or pamper someone. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To pet and spoil someone in a loving way.
   - _Doting aunts chuckle the children with sweets and constant praise._
   - _He chuckled his youngest daughter, granting her every small wish._

## Adjective

7. Clumsy or awkward in movement or manner. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Clumsy, moving or handling things in an awkward way.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–6** — Formed from "chuck" combined with the suffix "-le".
**Meaning 7** — Perhaps from "chock," meaning "a log."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/chuckle (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).