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snicker

[ snik-er ]
/ ˈsnɪk ər /
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See synonyms for: snicker / snickered / snickering / snickers on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
to laugh in a half-suppressed, indecorous or disrespectful manner.
verb (used with object)
to utter with a snicker.
noun
a snickering laugh.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also snigger.

Origin of snicker

First recorded in 1685–95; of expressive origin

OTHER WORDS FROM snicker

snick·er·ing·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH snicker

sneaker, snicker
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use snicker in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for snicker

snicker
/ (ˈsnɪkə) /

noun
mainly US and Canadian a sly or disrespectful laugh, esp one partly stifled
verb
to utter such a laughEquivalent term (in Britain and certain other countries): snigger
(of a horse) to whinny

Word Origin for snicker

C17: probably of imitative origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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