cackle

UK: /ˈkæk^əl/ US: /ˈkækəl/ ,(kak′əl)

Inflections of 'cackle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

cackles

v 3rd person singular

cackling

v pres p

cackled

v past

cackled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cack•le /ˈkækəl/   v., -led, -ling, n. 
v. 

1. Animal Behavior to utter a high, broken cry, as a hen does:
   [no object] The hens cackled excitedly.
2. to laugh in this way:
   [no object] The mad scientist cackled with glee.
3. to express with a cackling sound:
   [~ + object] They cackled their disapproval.

n. 

4. Animal Behavior the act or sound of cackling:
   [countable] high-pitched cackle.
5. [uncountable] chatter;
   foolish talk.

cack•ler, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cack•le  (kak′əl), v., -led, -ling, n. 
v.i. 

1. Animal Behavior to utter a shrill, broken sound or cry, as of a hen.
2. to laugh in a shrill, broken manner.
3. to chatter noisily;
   prattle.

v.t. 

4. to utter with cackles;
   express by cackling:
   They cackled their disapproval.

n. 

5. Animal Behavior the act or sound of cackling.
6. chatter;
   idle talk.

• 1175–1225; Middle English cakelen; cognate with Dutch kakelen, Low German kakeln, Swedish kackla

cack′ler, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cackle / ˈkæk^əl/ verb

1. (intransitive) (esp of a hen) to squawk with shrill notes
2. (intransitive) to laugh or chatter raucously
3. (transitive) to utter in a cackling manner

noun

1. the noise or act of cackling
2. noisy chatter
3. cut the cackle ⇒ to stop chattering; be quiet

Etymology: 13th Century: probably from Middle Low German kākelen, of imitative origin