giggle

Uncertain. Perhaps a frequentative based on dialectal English gig (“to creak”), from Middle English gigen (“to make a creaking sound”) +‎ -le; or perhaps of Dutch or Low German origin: compare Saterland Frisian güüchelje (“to giggle”), West Frisian giechelje (“to giggle”), Dutch giechelen (“to giggle”), German Low German giecheln (“to giggle”), dialectal German giggln, gigglen (“to giggle”), German gickeln (“to giggle”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɪɡl̩/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɪɡəl

giggle (third-person singular simple present giggles, present participle giggling, simple past and past participle giggled)

1. To laugh gently in a playful, nervous, or affected manner.

   The jokes had them giggling like little girls all evening.

• (laugh in a silly way): titter
• See also Thesaurus:laugh

• church giggles
• giggler
• gigglesome
• giggly

giggle (plural giggles)

1. A high-pitched, silly laugh.
2. (informal) Fun; an amusing episode.

   We put itching powder down his shirt for giggles.

   The women thought it would be quite a giggle to have a strippergram at the bride's hen party.

   • 2013, Patricia Newell-Dunkley, Letters of a Travelling Lady (page 16)

     For my first English breakfast I had kippers and pink champagne - what a combination, still it was a bit of a giggle and I know I've really arrived.

• (laugh): titter
• (amusement): amusement, fun, a joke, a laugh or laughs

• shits and giggles