To laugh in a joyful, chuckling way, often with a sound that's somewhat surprised or delighted.
Coined by Lewis Carroll in 'Jabberwocky' (1872) as a blend of 'chuckle' and 'snort.' Carroll was famous for inventing portmanteau words, and this one was so delightful that it entered standard English dictionaries and remains popular today.
Lewis Carroll literally invented 'chortle,' and because it sounded so perfect for that specific kind of gleeful laugh, millions of people adopted it without knowing it was made up just 150 years ago—proving that a well-crafted word can seem like it's always existed in the language.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.