titter

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“
Suddenly curious noise, that I'm told is known as a titter, interrupted me, and, before I had quite finished, there was a boisterous roar of laughter Oh, come," I said, "you mustn't take that too much to heart.

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Definitions (13)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. intransitive verb To laugh in a restrained, nervous way; giggle.
  2. noun A nervous giggle.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (6)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • Cynthia tried to stifle a titter, and Sim clamped his beak shut to avoid a hilarious squawk. —  Swell Foop
  • Mercenjoy , a little voice in her seemed to titter, and for an instant she felt so dizzy, she feared she might fall off. —  THE BLOOD KNIGHT
  • There are plenty of lines at which one is clearly expected to titter, but nothing resembling wit, and much that is distasteful - —  The Independent - Frontpage RSS Feed
  • But the actresses seem unable to resist milking each titter or gasp. —  The Guardian World News
  • Evoking a weak titter or two, cut off by a voice from the audience. —  Pulpnoir.com
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This word has been looked up 124 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

snicker ·  guffaw ·  giggle ·  cackle ·  snigger ·  jeer ·  quaver ·  sob ·  clunk ·  snort ·  gasp ·  hoot

Used in the same contextWord Family

titter:   titters
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (5)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Probably imitative.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (4)

  1. from Middle English titeren, from Icelandic titra =Old High German zitterōn, Middle High German zitern, G. z ittern, tremble, quiver. Cf. teeter, totter.
  2. from Middle English *titeren (in deriv. titerere, a tattler), prob. imitative; in part perhaps due to titter.
  3. from titter, v.
  4. Origin obscure.
 

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/ˈtɪtər/
by American Heritage

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