Laughing

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Queen Hecuba laughed that her eyes ran o'er. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He laugheth that winneth.             --Heywood's
                                                    Prov.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Fig.: To be or appear gay, cheerful, pleasant, mirthful,
        lively, or brilliant; to sparkle; to sport.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Then laughs the childish year, with flowerets
              crowned.                              --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              In Folly's cup still laughs the bubble Joy. --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {To laugh at}, to make an object of laughter or ridicule; to
        make fun of; to deride.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              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]
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Laughing \Laugh"ing\, a. & n.
     from {Laugh}, v. i.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {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.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  laughing
       adj : showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness; "laughing
             children" [syn: {laughing(a)}, {riant}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  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