Laughing softly or quietly, usually with amusement rather than full-out laughter.
From 'chuckle,' which emerged in the 1500s, likely from the Old English 'choke' or Dutch 'keuken,' evolving from the sound of suppressed laughter.
Chuckling is the linguistic sweet spot between a smile and a laugh—it's what happens when something is funny but you're trying not to disturb everyone around you, which is why you'll hear it more in libraries than comedy clubs.
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