verb
snicker
SNIHK-uh
verb
1
To laugh quietly in a stifled or half-suppressed way, often at someone else's expense.
"The students snickered when the teacher tripped over the cord."
noun
1
A stifled, half-suppressed laugh.
"A snicker went around the room."
How to Use Snicker
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA quiet, sometimes mocking laugh you try to hold back.
UK vs US
American English favours "snicker"; British English more often uses "snigger."
Common pairings
snicker at
a nervous snicker
snicker behind someone's back
Word Forms
snickered past tense, snickers plural, snickers plural, snickers singular
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Etymology
The American form of British "snigger," likely imitative of the sound of a suppressed laugh.