cachinnation

plural cachinnations

1. countableuncountableLoud, convulsive laughter.

   His shrill, mirthless cachinnation followed Monica as she headed up-hill.

   1920, Peter B. Kyne, chapter V, in The Understanding Heart

   3 more examples

   Mr. Palmer had a keen perception of the ludicrous; he was naturally a humourist, which was indicated by a peculiar twinkle of the eye-lid at those times when he determined to repress a hearty cachinnation, and pursue the subject that tickled him to its utmost.

   1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter LVIII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 116

   While reforming the language I crave leave to introduce an improvement of punctuation—the snigger point, or note of cachinnation. It is written thus ‿ and represents, as early as may be, a smiling mouth.

   1912, Ambrose Bierce, “For Brevity and Clarity”, in The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, volume 11, pages 386–387

   After midnight their shrill notes burst into a kind of pandemoniac cachinnation which filled all the countryside, and not until dawn did they finally quiet down.

   1928, H. P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror