Part 607

I shall laugh myself to death.

Shak.

2. To express by, or utter with, laughter; -- with out.

From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause.

Shak.

To laugh away. (a) To drive away by laughter; as, to laugh away regret. (b) To waste in hilarity. "Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune." Shak. -- To laugh down. (a) To cause to cease or desist by laughter; as, to laugh down a speaker. (b) To cause to be given up on account of ridicule; as, to laugh down a reform. -- To laugh one out of, to cause one by laughter or ridicule to abandon or give up; as, to laugh one out of a plan or purpose. -- To laugh to scorn, to deride; to treat with mockery, contempt, and scorn; to despise.

Laugh (?), n. An expression of mirth peculiar to the human species; the sound heard in laughing; laughter. See Laugh, v. i.

And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind.

Goldsmith.

That man is a bad man who has not within him the power of a hearty laugh.

F. W. Robertson.

Laugh"a*ble (?), a. Fitted to excite laughter; as, a laughable story; a laughable scene.

Syn. -- Droll; ludicrous; mirthful; comical. See Droll, and Ludicrous.

-- Laugh"a*ble*ness, n. -- Laugh"a*bly, adv.

Laugh"er (?), n. 1. One who laughs.

2. A variety of the domestic pigeon.

Laugh"ing (?), a. & n. from Laugh, v. i.

Laughing falcon (Zoöl.), a South American hawk (Herpetotheres cachinnans); -- so called from its notes, which resemble a shrill laugh. -- Laughing gas (Chem.), hyponitrous oxide, or protoxide of nitrogen; -- so called from the exhilaration and laughing which it sometimes produces when inhaled. It is much used as an anæsthetic agent. -- Laughing goose (Zoöl.), the European white-fronted goose. -- Laughing gull. (Zoöl.) (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 (Zoöl.), the spotted hyena. See Hyena. -- Laughing jackass (Zoöl.), the great brown kingfisher (Dacelo gigas), of Australia; -- called also giant kingfisher, and gogobera. -- Laughing owl (Zoöl.), a peculiar owl (Sceloglaux albifacies) of New Zealand, said to be on the verge of extinction. The name alludes to its notes.

Laugh"ing*ly (?), adv. With laughter or merriment.

Laugh"ing*stock` (?), n. An object of ridicule; a butt of sport. Shak.

When he talked, he talked nonsense, and made himself the laughingstock of his hearers.

Macaulay.

Laugh"some (?), a. Exciting laughter; also, addicted to laughter; merry. [R.]

Laugh"ter (?), n. [AS. hleahtor; akin to OHG. hlahtar, G. gelächter, Icel. hltr, Dan. latter. See Laugh, v. i. ] 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.

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, or totally within the jurisdiction of ourselves.

Sir T. Browne.

Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter.

Longfellow.