Main Entry: chuck·le

Pronunciation: \ˈchə-k^əl\

Function: intransitive verb

Inflected Form(s): chuck·led; chuck·ling

Etymology: probably frequentative of ¹chuck

Date: circa 1770

1 : to laugh inwardly or quietly
2 : to make a continuous gentle sound resembling suppressed mirth <the clear bright water chuckled over gravel — B. A. Williams>

— chuckle noun

— chuck·le·some \-səm\ adjective

— chuck·ling·ly \-iŋ-lē\ adverb