cackle

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) The cry of a hen or goose, especially when laying an egg.
2. (countable, uncountable) A laugh resembling the cry of a hen or goose.
3. (countable, uncountable) Futile or excessively noisy talk.
4. (collective, countable, uncountable) A group of hyenas.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To make a sharp, broken noise or cry, as a hen or goose does.
2. (intransitive) To laugh with a broken sound similar to a hen's cry.
3. (intransitive) To talk in a silly manner; to prattle.
4. (slang, transitive) To pretend to rattle (dice) in one's hand while gripping them so that they maintain their orientation.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkækəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: caclen

Inherited from Old English: *caclian

Cognate with Dutch: kakelen

Cognate with German: kakeln

Cognate with Danish: kagle

Cognate with Swedish: kackla

Cognate with Old English: cahhetan

Cognate with German: gackern

In summary

From Middle English caclen, cakelen, perhaps from Old English *caclian, *cacolian, from Proto-West Germanic *kakulōn, *kakilōn (“to cackle, gaggle, yelp, snarl”), perhaps of imitative origin.
Compare Dutch kakelen (“to cackle”), German Low German kakeln (“to cackle”), German kakeln (“to blather”), Danish kagle (“to cackle”), Swedish kackla (“to cackle”). Compare also Old English cahhetan, ċeahhettan (“to laugh loudly; cackle”), German gackern (“to cackle”).

Synonyms

cluck

chatter

laugh

😆

chuckle

chuck

giggle

gabble

honk

squawk

snicker

gobble

cackling

yakety-yak

tittering

gab

quack

gaggle

clack

snigger

titter

crow

giggling

yack

yak

yapp

babblement

gigle

chin wagging

line of gab

babble

prittle prattle

caw

chatterbox

chitchat

chortle

claptrap

click

clucking

croak

garrulity

garrulousness

guffaw

hiss

hoax

laughter

palaver

prate

prattle

rattle

roar

Translations

caqueter

caquet

gackern

schiamazzare

cacareo

cacarear

κακαρίζω

kakelen

glousser

gekakel

schnattern

kichern

Gegacker

schiamazzo

escatainar