Adjacent Words

Cackle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CACKLE, v.i.
1. To make a particular noise, as a goose or a hen.
2. To laugh with a broken noise, like the cackling o a goose; to giggle, which is a word from the same root.
3. To prate; to prattle; to tattle; to talk in a silly manner.
CACKLE, n.
1. The broken noise of a goose or hen.
2. Idle talk; silly prattle.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the sound made by a hen after laying an egg
2: noisy talk [syn: yak, yack, yakety-yak, chatter, cackle]
3: a loud laugh suggestive of a hen's cackle v
1: talk or utter in a cackling manner; "The women cackled when they saw the movie star step out of the limousine"
2: squawk shrilly and loudly, characteristic of hens
3: emit a loud, unpleasant kind of laughing

Merriam Webster's

intransitive verb (cackled; cackling) Etymology: Middle English cakelen, of imitative origin Date: 13th century 1. to make the sharp broken noise or cry characteristic of a hen especially after laying 2. to laugh especially in a harsh or sharp manner 3. chatter • cackle noun • cackler noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a clucking sound as of a hen or a goose. 2 a loud silly laugh. 3 noisy inconsequential talk. --v. 1 intr. emit a cackle. 2 intr. talk noisily and inconsequentially. 3 tr. utter or express with a cackle. Phrases and idioms: cut the cackle colloq. stop talking aimlessly and come to the point. Etymology: ME prob. f. MLG, MDu. kakelen (imit.)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cackle Cac"kle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cackled (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Cackling.] [OE. cakelen; cf. LG. kakeln, D. kakelen, G. gackeln, gackern; all of imitative origin. Cf. Gagle, Cake to cackle.] 1. To make a sharp, broken noise or cry, as a hen or goose does. When every goose is cackling. --Shak. 2. To laugh with a broken noise, like the cackling of a hen or a goose; to giggle. --Arbuthnot. 3. To talk in a silly manner; to prattle. --Johnson.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cackle Cac"kle, n. 1. The sharp broken noise made by a goose or by a hen that has laid an egg. By her cackle saved the state. --Dryden. 2. Idle talk; silly prattle. There is a buzz and cackle all around regarding the sermon. --Thackeray.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(cackles, cackling, cackled) If someone cackles, they laugh in a loud unpleasant way, often at something bad that happens to someone else. The old lady cackled, pleased to have produced so dramatic a reaction... VERB: V • Cackle is also a noun. He let out a brief cackle. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Laugh (with a sound like the cackling of a goose), giggle, titter, snicker. 2. Chatter, prattle, babble, palaver, talk idly, talk nonsense. See prate. II. n. Prattle, twaddle, idle talk, small talk. See prate.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To blab, or discover secrets. The cull is leaky, and cackles; the rogue tells all. Cant. See LEAKY.

Moby Thesaurus

call, carol, caw, chatter, cheep, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, chuck, clack, cluck, coo, croak, cronk, crow, cuckoo, drum, gabble, gaggle, gobble, guggle, honk, hoo, hoot, peep, pip, pipe, quack, roll, scold, sing, squawk, trill, tweet, twit, twitter, warble, whistle

Moby Thesaurus

Homeric laughter, babble, babblement, bark, bavardage, bawl, be in stitches, belch, bellow, belly laugh, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blah-blah, blare, blat, blather, blether, blethers, blubber, boff, boffola, boom, bray, break up, breathe, burr, burst into laughter, burst of laughter, burst out, burst out laughing, burst with laughter, bust a gut, buzz, cachinnate, cachinnation, call, caquet, caqueterie, carol, caw, chant, chat, chatter, cheep, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, chitter-chatter, chortle, chuck, chuckle, clack, clang, clangor, clank, clash, clatter, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, convulsion, coo, craunch, croak, cronk, crow, crump, crunch, cuckoo, drawl, drum, exclaim, fit of laughter, flute, gab, gabble, gaggle, gales of laughter, gas, gasp, gibber, gibble-gabble, giggle, go into convulsions, gobble, gossip, grind, groan, growl, grumble, grunt, guff, guffaw, guggle, ha-ha, hearty laugh, hee-haw, hee-hee, hilarity, hiss, ho-ho, honk, hoo, hoot, horselaugh, hot air, idle talk, jabber, jangle, jar, keen, laugh, laugh it up, laugh outright, laughing, laughter, lilt, mere talk, mumble, murmur, mutter, natter, nearly die laughing, nonsense talk, outburst of laughter, palaver, pant, peal of laughter, peep, pip, pipe, prate, prating, prattle, prittle-prattle, quack, rasp, risibility, roar, roar of laughter, roar with laughter, roll, rumble, scold, scranch, scrape, scratch, scream, screech, scrunch, shake like jelly, shake with laughter, shout, shout of laughter, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, snap, snarl, snicker, snigger, snore, snort, sob, split, split with laughter, squall, squawk, squeal, talkee-talkee, tee-hee, thunder, titter, tittle-tattle, trill, trumpet, twaddle, twang, twattle, tweet, twit, twitter, wail, warble, whine, whisper, whistle, yak, yakkety-yak, yap, yawp, yell, yelp, yuck, yuk-yuk