What does Laughter mean?
Definitions for Laughter
ˈlæf tər, ˈlɑf-laugh·ter
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Laughter.
Princeton's WordNet
laugh, laughternoun
the sound of laughing
laughternoun
the activity of laughing; the manifestation of joy or mirth or scorn
"he enjoyed the laughter of the crowd"
Wiktionary
laughternoun
The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.
Their loud laughter betrayed their presence
laughternoun
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.
laughternoun
A reason for merriment
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Laughternoun
Convulsive merriment; an inarticulate expression of sudden merriment.
Etymology: from laugh.
To be worst,
The lowest, most dejected thing of fortune,
Stands still in esperance; lives not in fear.
The lamentable change is from the best,
The worst returns to laughter. William Shakespeare, King Lear.The act of laughter, which is a sweet contraction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocal organs, is not merely voluntary, or totally within the jurisdiction of ourselves. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours, b. vii.
We find not that the laughter loving dame
Mourn’d for Anchises. Edmund Waller.Pain or pleasure, grief or laughter. Matthew Prior.
Wikipedia
Laughter
Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter can rise from such activities as being tickled, or from humorous stories or thoughts. Most commonly, it is considered an auditory expression of a number of positive emotional states, such as joy, mirth, happiness, or relief. On some occasions, however, it may be caused by contrary emotional states such as embarrassment, surprise, or confusion such as nervous laughter or courtesy laugh. Age, gender, education, language, and culture are all indicators as to whether a person will experience laughter in a given situation. Some other species of primate (chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans) show laughter-like vocalizations in response to physical contact such as wrestling, play chasing or tickling. Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group—it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.The study of humor and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body, is called gelotology.
ChatGPT
laughter
Laughter can be defined as a vocal expression or response that typically involves rhythmic, uncontrollable contractions of the diaphragm and other muscles, often accompanied by various facial expressions. It is a natural physiological reaction to humor, joy, or amusement and is often considered an indicator of happiness or enjoyment. Laughter can also serve as a social signal, promoting bonding and communication within a group.
Webster Dictionary
Laughterverb
a movement (usually involuntary) of the muscles of the face, particularly of the lips, 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. See Laugh, v. i
Etymology: [AS. hleahtor; akin to OHG. hlahtar, G. gelchter, Icel. hltr, Dan. latter. See Laugh, v. i. ]
Wikidata
Laughter
Laughing is an involuntary reaction to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter can arise from such activities as being tickled, or from humorous stories or thoughts. Most commonly, it is considered a visual expression of a number of positive emotional states, such as joy, mirth, happiness, relief, etc. On some occasions, however, it may be caused by contrary emotional states such as embarrassment, apology, or confusion" or courtesy laugh. Factors such as age, gender, education, language, and culture are determinant factors as to whether a person will experience laughter in a given situation. Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group — it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious, and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback. This may account in part for the popularity of laugh tracks in situation comedy television shows. The study of humor and laughter, and its psychological and physiological effects on the human body, is called gelotology.
The Roycroft Dictionary
laughter
1. The sound you always hear when you chase your hat down the street. 2. Nature's rest-cure for tired nerves. 3. The solace of the sad. 4. A facial sunburst that is fatal to the glooms.
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Laughter
An involuntary expression of merriment and pleasure; it includes the patterned motor responses as well as the inarticulate vocalization.
Editors Contribution
laughter
A type of loving and joyful sound.
We love the sound of children's laughter.
Submitted by MaryC on February 17, 2020
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
LAUGHTER
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Laughter is ranked #15210 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Laughter surname appeared 1,937 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 would have the surname Laughter.
83.5% or 1,619 total occurrences were White.
10.1% or 197 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
2.3% or 45 total occurrences were Black.
2.2% or 43 total occurrences were of two or more races.
1.2% or 25 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
0.4% or 8 total occurrences were Asian.
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'Laughter' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4029
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'Laughter' in Nouns Frequency: #1705
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of Laughter in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of Laughter in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2
Examples of Laughter in a Sentence
Laughter is an instant vacation.
Laughter is the greatest music in the world and audiences come to my shows to escape the cares of life. They don't want to be embarrassed or insulted. They want to laugh and so do I - which is probably why it works.
There are three things which are real God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension. So we must do what we can with the third.
I think one of the most important things that has come out of all of this is much larger than just videos of a girl singing and being hilariously interrupted, the joy that these videos have brought people is the true gift. You can see many comments from people all over the world saying how much they enjoy them and how much their families are bonding over the laughter and music.
The dancing pair that simply sought renown,By holding out to tire each other downThe swain mistrustless of his smutted face,While secret laughter titter'd round the placeThe bashful virgin's side-long looks of love,The matrons glance that would those looks reproveThese were thy charms, sweet village sports like these,With sweet succession, taught e'en toil to pleaseThese were thy bowers their cheerful influence shed,These were thy charms -- but all these charms are fled.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for Laughter
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- ضحكArabic
- rialla, riureCatalan, Valencian
- smíchCzech
- grin, latterDanish
- Lachen, GelächterGerman
- γέλιοGreek
- risaSpanish
- خندهPersian
- nauruFinnish
- rireFrench
- gáireIrish
- gàireScottish Gaelic
- हंसीHindi
- nevetésHungarian
- քրքիջ, ծիծաղArmenian
- riso, risataItalian
- 笑い声, 笑いJapanese
- სიცილიGeorgian
- ನಗುKannada
- risusLatin
- ສຽງຫົວLao
- smiekliLatvian
- смеаMacedonian
- gelach, lachenDutch
- latterNorwegian
- dlohNavajo, Navaho
- ris, risadaOccitan
- śmiechPolish
- risada, risosPortuguese
- risada, riez, risaglia, riem, riözRomansh
- râset, râsRomanian
- смех, хохотRussian
- risidaSardinian
- hȉhōt, smijȇhSerbo-Croatian
- smiechSlovak
- skrattSwedish
- gülüş, kahkahaTurkish
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