Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CACHINNATE
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pronounce
CACHINNATE:
Say it "KACK in ate."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Like the word cackle, our word cachinnate is imitative in origin. That is, it attempts to echo the sound of what it is. A loud, long, wild laugh.
We've checked out a few other imitative words before. See if you can recall them:
1. A cl____r is a loud ringing sound, like the kind made by a bell, a trumpet, or pieces of metal being smashed together.
2. A cl___e is a group of loyal, unthinking followers eager to praise and support their leader, as if applauding at every moment.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Our words "cachinnation" and "cachinnate" come from a Latin one, cachinnationem, meaning "violent laughter." This cachinnationem might look scholarly or full of meaning, but it's really just an imitation of the sound of wild laughter!
To cachinnate is to laugh in a loud, uncontrollable way.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the intransitive kind: "She threw her head back and cachinnated;" "He cachinnated all through the show."
Other forms:
cachinnated, cachinnating, cachinnation, cachinnator(s), cachinnatory
how to use it:
You're more likely to encounter the word "cachinnate" at a spelling bee than in a novel or a newspaper. It's rare and old-fashioned.
Still, it's easy for people to understand in context. So when you need an even bigger, bolder word than "guffawing," "howling," or "belly laughing," talk about people cachinnating.
You might say someone is cachinnating at, over, or about something. Or just that someone is cachinnating: "He never answered but continued to cachinnate."
examples:
"She cachinnated at her absurdity."
— Steven Sills, Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America, 2004
"She does not laugh so much as cachinnate, finding at least one thing hysterical in every episode."
— Los Angeles Review of Books, 7 August 2020
has this page helped you understand "cachinnate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "cachinnate" without saying "guffaw" or "belly laugh."
try it out:
Let's check out this snippet from Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland:
"Nancy could scarcely contain herself, for pure, boisterous, laughing glee... she was still holding her sides, and laughing immoderately... She was under the influence of one of those extraordinary cachinnations that sometimes convulse our diaphragms... Her face was flushed, and the fire of her glee shone bright in her eye."
How joyful.
Talk about the last time you, too were under the influence of a cachinnation. Who were you with? What were you cachinnating at? Why (if you can explain it) did it strike you as so hilarious?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for October is "Silly Smashings!"
In each issue this month, I'll give you the definition of a word I've concocted by smashing together two words we've studied before.
See if you can come up with the same silly smashing that I did.
For example, I'll say, "This noun means 'an extremely outdated, old-fashioned, ill-considered assumption that there are only two ways of dealing with a certain problem.'" And you'll say, "That's a troglodichotomy." (Which is a silly smashing of troglodyte and dichotomy.)
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Maybe your answer will match mine. Or maybe yours will be even better; if so, be sure to share it with me!
Try this one today:
This noun phrase means "the rude, insulting, and indecent things you shout as everyone around you loses their minds and runs off in different directions."
review this word:
1. A near opposite of CACHINNATE is
A. SOB.
B. SPARKLE.
C. STOMP OUT.
2. This makes me cachinnate: _____.
A. the sound of fingernails scraping a chalkboard
B. "Cake Wrecks," a blog subtitled "When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong"
C. an expose subtitled "As it built an armored truck empire, GardaWorld took dangerous shortcuts. Its workers and unsuspecting motorists suffered the consequences"
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Say it "KACK in ate."
Our words "cachinnation" and "cachinnate" come from a Latin one, cachinnationem, meaning "violent laughter." This cachinnationem might look scholarly or full of meaning, but it's really just an imitation of the sound of wild laughter!
Part of speech:
You're more likely to encounter the word "cachinnate" at a spelling bee than in a novel or a newspaper. It's rare and old-fashioned.
"She cachinnated at her absurdity."
Explain the meaning of "cachinnate" without saying "guffaw" or "belly laugh."
Let's check out this snippet from Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1. A near opposite of CACHINNATE is
|