Meanings
alternative dated laughing-gas
- uncountableNitrous oxide, especially when used as an anaesthetic.
ETSC’s Belgian member VIAS institute is calling for the development of a breath test to detect when a driver has consumed nitrous oxide, known as ‘laughing gas’. Call for breath tests to detect drivers under the influence of nitrous oxide, ETSC, 20 February 2024
1 more example
"You know how matters stand, dear," said he. "I have explained it also to our friends here. You're not afraid are you?" "It won't be painful, George?" "No more than laughing-gas at the dentist's."
1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLCSynonyms: laughy gas
Synonyms & antonyms
nounNitrous oxide, especially when used as an anaesthetic.
More synonyms by meaning
nouninhalation anesthetic used as an anesthetic in dentistry and surgery
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From its euphoric effects. Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1799.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans laggas
- laggascommon name for nitrous oxide
Catalan gas del riure
- gas del riurecommon name for nitrous oxide
Chinese Cantonese 笑氣 /笑气
- 笑氣 /笑气 (siu³ hei³)common name for nitrous oxide
Chinese Mandarin 笑氣 /笑气
- 笑氣 /笑气 (xiàoqì)common name for nitrous oxide
Finnish ilokaasu
- ilokaasucommon name for nitrous oxide
French gaz hilarant
- gaz hilarantcommon name for nitrous oxide
German Lachgas
- Lachgascommon name for nitrous oxide
Hungarian nevetőgáz, kéjgáz
- nevetőgázcommon name for nitrous oxide
- kéjgázcommon name for nitrous oxide
Italian ossido di diazoto, protossido di azoto
- ossido di diazotocommon name for nitrous oxide
- protossido di azotocommon name for nitrous oxide
Japanese 笑気
- 笑気 (shōki)common name for nitrous oxide
Polish gaz rozweselający
- gaz rozweselającycommon name for nitrous oxide
Romanian gaz ilariant
- gaz ilariantcommon name for nitrous oxide
Russian веселя́щий га́з
- веселя́щий га́з (veseljáščij gáz)common name for nitrous oxide
Slovak rajský plyn
- rajský plyncommon name for nitrous oxide
Spanish gas hilarante, gas de la risa
- gas hilarantecommon name for nitrous oxide
- gas de la risacommon name for nitrous oxide
Swedish lustgas
- lustgascommon name for nitrous oxide
Thai ก๊าซหัวเราะ, แก๊สหัวเราะ
- ก๊าซหัวเราะ (gáas-hǔua-rɔ́)common name for nitrous oxide
- แก๊สหัวเราะ (gɛ́ɛs-hǔua-rɔ́)common name for nitrous oxide
Turkish diazot monoksit, güldürücü gaz
- diazot monoksitcommon name for nitrous oxide
- güldürücü gazcommon name for nitrous oxide
- nitröz oksitcommon name for nitrous oxide
Ukrainian нітроге́н, окси́д
- нітроге́н (nitrohén)common name for nitrous oxide
- окси́д (oksýd)common name for nitrous oxide
- окси́д азо́ту (oksýd azótu)common name for nitrous oxide
Vietnamese khí cười
- khí cườicommon name for nitrous oxide
Cite this entry
laughing gas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laughing%20gas
“laughing gas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laughing%20gas. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “laughing gas,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/laughing%20gas.
Source: laughing gas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.