snigger

English

Alternative forms

• snicker

Etymology

British variant pronunciation and spelling of snicker. This definition is lacking an etymology or has an incomplete etymology. You can help Wiktionary by giving it a proper etymology.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsnɪɡə/, X-SAMPA: /snIg@/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡə(r)

Noun

snigger (plural sniggers)

1. A partly suppressed or broken laugh.
   • 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, page 255,

     Here the unfeeling Toad broke into a snigger, and then pulled himself together and tried to look particularly solemn.

2. A sly or snide laugh.

Translations

A partly suppressed or broken laugh

• Italian: risatina (it) f

• Russian: смешок (ru) (smešók) m, хихиканье (ru) (xixíkan'je) n

a sly or snide laugh

• French: ricanement (fr) m

• Greek: χαχανητό (el) (xaxanitó) pl

Verb

snigger (third-person singular simple present sniggers, present participle sniggering, simple past and past participle sniggered)

1. (intransitive) To emit a snigger.
   • 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, page 22,

     […] presently the Mole's spirits revived again, and he was even able to give some straight back-talk to a couple of moorhens who were sniggering to each other about his bedraggled appearance.

   • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, The Cuckoo in the Nest^[1]:

     Peter, after the manner of man at the breakfast table, had allowed half his kedgeree to get cold and was sniggering over a letter. Sophia looked at him sharply. The only letter she had received was from her mother. Sophia's mother was not a humourist.

Translations

to emit a snigger

• Dutch: gniffelen (nl), stiekem lachen (nl)
• French: ricaner (fr)

• Russian: посмеиваться (ru) (posméivatʹsja), хихикать (ru) (xixíkatʹ)

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:laugh

Anagrams

• gingers, niggers