[Echoic: akin to CHUCK v.1, with the dim. and freq. ending -LE. Cf. also CHOKELING.]
† 1. intr. ‘To laugh vehemently; to laugh convulsively’ (J.). Cf. CHECKLE. Obs.
1598. Florio, Collepolarsi d’allegrezza, to chuckle, to chuck or rouze ones selfe to gladnes and mirth.
1742. Richardson, Pamela, III. 110. Such Liberties of Speech as they would saucily chuckle at.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. xxiv. It would be difficult to find one who has heartily chuckled at it.
2. To laugh in a suppressed manner; to laugh to oneself; to make or show inarticulate signs of exultation or triumph.
1803. Syd. Smith, Wks., 25. A man, who would … set the house in a blaze, that he might chuckle over the splendour.
1841. D’Israeli, Amen. Lit. (1867), 266. A tale which some antiquaries still chuckle over.
1850. Kingsley, Alt. Locke, iii. (1876), 41. Then he lighted his pipe and chuckled away in silence.
1855. Tennyson, Maud, I. IV. v. We whisper, and hint, and chuckle, and grin at a brother’s shame.
1881. Besant & Rice, Chapl. of Fleet, I. iii. (1883), 16. He went off chuckling.
b. trans. also chuckle out, to utter with a chuckle.
1820. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life (1870), II. v. 120. Whatever you praise to Jeffrey he directly chuckles out some error which you did not perceive.
1876. Miss Braddon, J. Haggard’s Dau., III. 9. Ah, but they’re all glad to get a husband … chuckled the farmer.
3. To cluck or cackle as a hen; also with compl. (trans.) to call (together) with a chuckle.
1690. Dryden, Don Sebastian, II. ii. (J.). If these Birds are within distance, here’s that will chuckle ’em together.
1833. Tennyson, Goose, vii. It cluttered here, it chuckled there.
fig. c. 1700. Gentl. Instructed (1732), 117 (D.). She chuckles together a whole covy of essences and perfumes.
4. trans. To express regret for by the inarticulate sound ’ts! ’ts!
1681. Dryden, Span. Friar, II. iii. Your confessor … must chuckle you, and moan you.
5. nonce-use. Applied to the gurgling sound made by water in coming out of a bottle.
1865. Swinburne, Poems & Ball., Two Dreams, 363. As when water slips Out of a beak-mouthed vessel with faint noise And chuckles in the narrowed throat.
6. Curling. See quot.
1831. Blackw. Mag., XXX. 971. To chuckle, a term used upon the Ayrshire ice, is to make a succession of in-wicks up a port to a certain object.
