Snicker v.

Also 9 Sc. snicher. [Imitative: cf. NICKER v. and SNIGGER v.¹]

  1.  intr. To laugh in a half-suppressed or smothered manner; to snigger.

1694.  Motteux, Rabelais, IV. lii. While he said this, the Maidens began to snicker at his Elbow, grinning, giggling and twittering among themselves.

a. 1700.  B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Snickering, Laughing in his Sleeve or privately.

1796.  Mrs. M. Robinson, Angelina, II. 251. ‘You may sneer and snicker, and look grand’; cried Sir Edward.

1836.  Haliburton, Clockm., Ser. I. vi. The neighbours snickered a good deal, and the Elder felt pretty streaked.

1855.  Browning, Heretic’s Trag., viii. John, snickering, crook’d his wicked thumb.

1880.  J. Hawthorne, Ellice Quentin, etc. I. 255. One or two persons snickered, and others joined in, and almost immediately there was a universal explosion of derisive mirth at the gallant lieutenant’s expense.

  transf. and fig.  1857.  J. G. Holland, Bay Path, xii. 144. And the ripples came up, one after another, and whispered and snickered in his ears.

1884.  E. P. Roe, in Harper’s Mag., May, 922/1. A squirrel barked and ‘snickered,’ as if he too were a party to the fun.

1897.  Ed. W. Sandys, in Outing, XXX. 172/1. Every wee water-course seems to snicker gleefully as it romps along bound on business brookward.

  2.  Of horses: To neigh, nicker.

1824.  Scott, Redgauntlet, let. i. The rascal knows me already, and snickers whenever I cross the threshold of the stable.

1880.  M. Kingsley, in Macm. Mag., Jan., 217/2. The sturdy colt that hinnied and snickered round his mother in the pasture.

  Hence Snickering vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; Snickeringly adv., in a snickering manner.

1775.  Ash, Dict., Snickering, a silly kind of laugh.

1872.  J. G. Holland, Marb. Proph., 78. Much as if for a snickering fit or a sneeze.

1878.  Browning, Poets Croisic, 142. Yes, I’m Macrais, and somebody beside, You snickering monkey!

1885.  Harper’s Mag., Feb., 487/2. They silently—and snickeringly—arose and left the theatre.

1893.  Advance (Chicago), 9 Nov. There had been … a snickering and chuckling in the further part of the room.