lauder 
lauder (la'der), H. Ono who luuils or praises. 
Ash. 
Laudian (li'ili-nn), a. Of or pertaining to Wil- 
liiiin Laiul, ;i member of government, Bishop 
of London, and Archbishop of Canterbury un- 
der KinK Charli-s I., and a zealous persecutor of 
dissenters and nonconformists, born 1573, exe- 
cuted on charges of high treason by Parliament, 
January 10th, 1G4J. 
lauf (louf ), n. [G., a running, run, = E. Jea/)l.J 
1. In music, a running passage; a roulade. 
2. The peg-box of the violin, guitar, and simi- 
lar instruments. See peg. 
laugh (liif), c. [Also spelled (dial.) laff, loff; Sc. 
also lauch (pret. Icugli, tench); < ML. langhen, 
laicghcn, lauhcn, laghen (pret. lot/he, logh, lughe, 
etc.), < AS. hlehhan, hlililian, hliehhan, hliehan, 
hlihtin (pret. Molt) = OS. hlahan (pret. hlog) = 
OFries. hlaka = MD. lachen (pret. loech, loegh, 
loeg), D. lagcheii = MLG. lachen = OHG. hlah- 
han, lahhan (pret. Moch), lachen, MHO. G. lachen 
= Icel. hlaya (pret. hlo) = Dan. le (pret. to) = 
Sw. le (pret. log) = Goth. Itlahjan (pret. hloh), 
laugh ; orig. imitative. The original guttural 
gh (ch)haschanged in English (but not in Scotch 
use) to/, as also in cough, enough, trough, etc., 
though the change is not recognized by a 
change of spelling as in dwarf, draft for 
draught, etc.] I. intrant. 1. To express mirth 
or joy by an explosive inarticulate sound of the 
voice and a peculiar facial distortion ; make a 
convulsive or chuckling noise excited by sudden 
merriment or pleasure. 
He Is glad with alle glade as gurles that lauhen alle, 
And aory when lie seeth men gory us thow seest children 
Lajhftt thur men lauhen and luure ther men loureth. 
Piers Plowman (C), xviL 300. 
The folk gan lauyhcn at his fantasie. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, L 852. 
And then the whole quire hold tlielr hips, and loffe, 
And waxen In their mirth, and neeze, and sweare 
A merrier hour was nener wasted there. 
Shale., M. N. D. (fol. 1823), IL 1. B6 
Laughing consists essentially in an inspiration succeed- 
ed, not by one, but by a whole series often long continued, 
of short spasmodic expirations, the glottis being freely 
open during the whole time, and the vocal cords being 
thrown into characteristic vibrations. 
U. Fatter, Physiology, II. Ii. 9. 
2. To be or appear gay; appear cheerful, pleas- 
ant, lively, or brilliant. [Poetical.] 
The fields did laugh, the flowres did freshly spring. 
Spenter, F. Q., II. vi. 24. 
Then laughs the childish year with flow'rets crown'd. 
Dryden. 
3. To scoff playfully; make merry; flout; jeer: 
with at. 
I also will laugh at your calamity ; I will mock when 
your fear cometb. Prov. L 28. 
No fool to laugh at, which he valued more. 
Pope, Moral Essays, Ui. 312. 
Profusion . . . hardens, blinds, 
And warps the consciences of public men, 
Till they can laugh at Virtue. 
Cowper, Task, ii. 692. 
Laugh and lay downt, or laugh and lie down*, an old 
game at cards, in which the one who holds a certain com- 
bination lays down his cards, and laughs, or is supposed to 
laugh, at his luck. 
At laugh and lie dmme if they play, 
What asse against the sport can bray? 
1.,'ilu, Mother Bombie (ed. 1682X tig. Dd. it 
To laugh In one's sleeve, to laugh Inwardly, or so as 
not to be observed ; be mirthful while maintaining a <!<- 
mure countenance. The phrase generally Implies some 
degree of contempt, and is used rather of a state of feeling 
th. in of actual laughter. 
Abt. Indeed, sir, I never was in a worse humour for 
mirth in my life. 
Sir A. Tls false, sir, I know you are laughinu in your 
ileeve; I know you'll grin when I am gone, sirrah I 
Sheridan, The Rivals, ill. 1. 
To laugh out of or on the other side or corner of the 
mouth, to laugh on the wrong side of the mouth 
(or face), to weep or cry (figuratively) ; be made to feel 
regret, vexation, or disappointment, especially after ex- 
hibiting a boastful or exultant spirit 
II. trans. 1. To express laughingly; give out 
with jovial utterance or manner: as, he laughed 
his consent. 
Hi.- l:ir|{e Achilles, on his uress'd bed lolling, 
From his deep chest laughs out a loud applause. 
Shalt., T. and C., i. 3. 182. 
2. To affect in some way by laughter, or a 
laughing manner; act upon by exercise of risi- 
bility: as, to laugh one's self sick or into con- 
vulsions; to laugh one out of countenance. 
I have not been able yet to laugh him out of his long bid 
and beads. Richardson, Clarissa Ilarlowc, ii. 0. 
Whenever she touch'd on me 
This brother had lauyh'd lu-r <io\\ n. 
Tennyson, Maud, xlx. 
To laugh It out*, or laugh It off, to pass off something 
with a laugh ; make light of it. 
Vet would he laugh it out, and proudly looke. 
And u-11 them that they greatly him mistooke. 
Spenter, Mother Hub. Tale, L 70S. 
To laugh to scorn, to deride ; treat with mockery, con- 
tempt, or scorn. 
They laughed us to team, and despised us. Sell. Ii. It). 
laugh (liif), a. [< laugh, p.] 1. An expression 
of merriment by an explosive noise ; an inar- 
ticulate expression of sudden mirth or joy. 
But feigns a laugh, to see me search around, 
And by that laugh the willing fair is found. 
Pope, SpriDfci.lt. 
The watch-doe's voice that bay'd the whisp'ring wind, 
And the luud f 1111.7/1 that spoke the vacant mind. 
UMtmith, Des. VII., L 122. 
2. Mirth or merriment, particularly at the ex- 
pense of some person or thing; ridicule: used 
with the definite article : as, the laugh was turn- 
ed against him. 
He can lie pleased to see his best friend out of counte- 
nance, while the laugh Is loud In his own applause. 
Steele, Spectator, No. 422. 
Canine laugh. In pathoi. Hee canine. 
laughable (la'fa-bl), a. [< laugh + -able.] Ex- 
citing or fitted to excite laughter: as, a laugh- 
able story; a laughable scene. 
The laughable peculiarities which contrasted so singu- 
larly with the gravity, energy, and harshness of his [Fred- 
eric's] character. Macaulay, Frederic the Great. 
=Syn. Ridiculous, Comical, etc. See ludicrous. 
laughableness (la'fa-bl-ues), n. The character 
of Deine laughable. 
laughably (la'fa-bli), adv. In a laughable man- 
ner : so as to excite laughter. 
laugher (lii'fer), n. 1. One who laughs or is 
given to merriment ; rarely, a scoffer. 
The laughers are much the majority. /'./-. 
You are of the Laughers, the Wits that take the Liberty 
to deride all Things that are magnificent and solemn. 
Steele, Grief A-la-Mode, L 1. 
2. A domestic pigeon of a breed so named from 
their notes. 
laughing-bird (la'fing-berd), n. The green 
woodpecker, Gecinus viridin. See highhoe. 
[Eng.] 
laughing-crow (la ' fing-kro), n. 1. See croic 2 . 
3l. Same as laughing-thrush. 
laughing-dove (lii'fing-duv), n. A kind of pi- 
geon, (a) The collared turtle- or ring-dove, Turtur risu- 
rim. (ft) The cushat. 
laughing-gas (la'fing-gas), n. Nitrous oxid, or 
monoxid (N 2 O): so called because when in- 
haled it usually produces exhilaration, which 
is followed by insensibility. It is prepared by care- 
fully heating ammonium nitrate, and Is evolved as a color- 
less gas with a pleasant smell and sweet taste. It may be 
liquefied by pressure, and In this condition stored for use. 
It Is used as an anesthetic agent in minor surgical opera- 
tions, particularly In dentistry. 
laughing-goose (Ia'fiiig-g8s), . The white- 
fronted goose, Atiser atbifrons: so called from 
the conformation of the bill, which suggests 
the act of grinning or laughing. The American 
Laughing-goose \Anrtr 
white-fronted goose is a different variety, A. 
finmlicli, known in California as the speckle-belly. 
laughing-gull (la'fing-gul), n. See gulp, and 
cut under Chroicocephatiis. 
laughing-hyena (lii'fing-hl-e'na), n. The 
striped hyena, Hi/<r>m <triata: so called from 
its cry. 
laughing-jackass (l'flng-jak'as),n. The great 
kingfisher of Australia, Dacelo yigas. See out 
under Dacelo. 
launch 
laughingly (la'fing-li), adv. In a laughing or 
merry way; with laughter, 
laughing-muscle (la'fing-mus'l), H. The riso- 
rius. Also cnllfil *>itili/n/-iHutcle. 
laughing-staket, . Same as laughing-stock. 
He lay in Vulcan's gyves a lauyhina-itaJte. 
Beau, and Fl CO, Faithful Friends, L 3. 
laughing-stock (la'fing-stok), M. A person or 
thing that is an object of ridicule ; a butt for 
laughter or jokes. 
So I am made the servant of the inanle, 
And lawjhing itocke of all that list to scorn e. 
Spenter, Tears of the Muses, L 224. 
When he talked, he talked nonsense, and made himself 
the lau'jhiivj-Huck of his hearers. Macaulay. 
laughing-thrush (la'fing-thrush), n. A bird of 
the genus Trochalopteron, or of some closely re- 
lated genus, as Oarrulajc, commonly referred to 
the family I'ycnonotidte, as T.jihamceum, T. ery- 
throcej>h<ttui,orG.teucolophu8. They are natives 
of Asia. Also called laughing-crow. 
laughter (laf'tfcr), n. [= 8c. lauchter; < ME. 
laughter, lauhter, < AS. hlealitor (=OHG. hlah- 
tar, lahter, MHG. lahter (collectively gelehter, 
G. gelachtcr) = Icel. hldtr = Dan. latter, laugh- 
ter), < hlehhan, laugh : see laugh, p.] 1. A mode 
of expressing mirth, consisting chiefly in cer- 
tain convulsive and partly involuntary ac- 
tions of the muscles of respiration, by means 
of which, after an inspiration, the expulsion of 
the air from the chest in a series of jerks pro- 
duces a succession of short abrupt sounds, ac- 
companied by certain movements of the mus- 
cles of the face, and often of other parts of the 
body, and, when excessive, by tears : also some- 
times applied to any expression of merriment 
perceivable in the countenance, Laughter, accom- 
panied by a feeling of annoyance rather than merriment, 
may be caused by tickling ; It also accompanies hysteria. 
Yirt that youre lorde also yee se drynkynge, 
Looke that ye be in rihte stable sylence 
Withe-oute lowde lauhtere or langelynge, 
Kovnynge, lapynge, or other Insolence. 
Baltrei Book (E. E. T. a), p. 4. 
How inevitably does an Immoderate laughter end in a 
sigh, which is only nature's recovering Itself after a force 
done to it. Steele, Tatler, No. 211. 
Laughter seems primarily to be the expression of mere 
Joy or happiness. Darwin, Express, of Emotions, p. 198. 
2f. A laugh. 
When the worthy hade his wordes warplt to end, 
Diamede full depely drough out a laughter. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. 8.), L 5064. 
When she cam to the Netherbow port. 
She laughed loud laughters three. 
The Queen's Marie (Child's Ballads, III. 118). 
laughterless (laf 'ter-les), a. Without laughter; 
not laughing, 
laugh-worthy (laf'wer'THi), a. Deserving to 
be laughed at; laughable. [Rare.] 
They laugh'd at his lawjh-tcnrthy fate. 
B. Janton, Epigrams. 
lank, interj. See lawk. 
laumer (la'mer), n. Same as lammer. 
laumontite, lanmonite (la'mon-tit, -it), n. [< 
l.tiiiniinit, its discoverer, + -ite2.] A hydrous 
silicate of aluminium and calcium. It It found In 
laminated masses, and in groups of prismatic crystals. 
Exposed to dry air, it lows water and disintegrates. Also 
spelled lomoniie. 
laun (Ian), n. A fine sieve made of closely woven 
silk, used in the purifying of ceramic clay. 
launce 1 1, n. and r. An obsolete form of lance 1 . 
Iaunce 2 t, . See lance^. 
lanncegayt, A variant of lancrqay. 
launch (iiinch or l&nch), r. [Also lanch; < 
ME. lanchen, launchen, var. of linicen, launcen, 
latcncen, < OF. lanchier, var. of lander, P. lan- 
cer = Pr. lansar = Sp. lanzar = Pg. lancar = It. 
lanciare, hurl as a lance: see /once 1 , of which 
litiirli, launch, is a mere variant, now partly 
differentiated in use.] I. trnn.i. 1. To throw or 
hurl, as a lance ; dart ; let fly. 
At him he launch'd his spear and pierc'd his breast. 
Dryden, tr. of Ovid's Metamorph., xii. 
He Launched the World to float in ambient Air. 
Congreve, Birth of the Muse. 
Power at thee has launched 
His bolts, and with his lightnings smitten thee. 
Bryant, Antiq. of Freedom. 
2t. To pierce or cut with or as with a lance or 
lancet; lance. 
He held a sharpe bore-speare. 
With which he wont to launch the salvage hart 
of many a Lyon and of many a Bean. 
Sfauer, r. Q., VI. U. 8. 
In fell motion, 
With his prepared sword, he charge* home 
My unprovided bodv, lanched mine arm. 
Shale., Lear, U. 1. 54. 
