horselaugh

1 8.5

A loud rough noise people make when they find something funny that is like a horse sound

noun
/ˈhɔrsˌlɔf/

Archaic

: risa de caballo

She couldn't help but let out a horselaugh when her friend told an outrageous story.

Examples

I'm gonna hang before I let any fink of a cop give me the horselaugh.

Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
When he found the joke funny, he let out a loud, coarse horselaugh that echoed through the room.
The comedian's performance had the audience erupting into horselaughs at every punchline.

Synonyms

ha-ha

vshorselaugh

Informal

465 9.1

A loud, wild laugh like a horse's neigh

is specifically coarser and more neighing in sound

big laugh

vshorselaugh

16 2.5

A loud, happy sound people make when something is very funny

is harsher and more animallike than a hearty ordinary laugh

cackle

vshorselaugh

6 4.1

A loud high sharp sound a hen makes or a loud harsh laugh

is coarser and neighing-like rather than sharp or shrill

guffaw

vshorselaugh

5 6.1

A sudden, loud laugh that bursts out

is rougher and resembles neighing rather than mere boisterousness

hee-haw

vshorselaugh

3 9.9

A loud, harsh laugh like a donkey's bray

is focused on the coarser neighing quality not braying

haw-haw

vshorselaugh

3 9.9

A loud, harsh laugh that sounds like a horse's neigh

is coarser and rougher in tone than that

roar of laughter

vshorselaugh

1 3.2

A very loud sound made by many people when they find something funny

is rougher and sounds neighing-like rather than just unrestrained

cachinnation

vshorselaugh

Archaic

9.9

Very loud laughter that makes your body shake

is coarser and specifically neighing in tone rather than convulsive

Surface Forms

horselaugh singular

horselaughs plural

Morphology

horselaugh = horse + laugh (transparent) = horse + laugh

A straightforward compound whose meaning—a laugh resembling a horse's neigh—is directly inferred from 'horse' + 'laugh'.

Etymology

Horselaugh comes from the simple English words horse and laugh, and it creates an image of a laugh that sounds like a horse 'neighing' or making a loud, rough noise. So, a horselaugh is a loud, rough laugh that reminds people of a horse, which is why the word means a laugh like a neigh.