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Is there a term for a snort that is almost a laugh (as would occur when looking at a meme in a public space or any situation where something is humorous but it is not acceptable to outright laugh)?

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  • chortle is not quite specific enough... – astex Jan 31 '13 at 23:50
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    Just a few seconds ago I used "snort" (I might have used "snicker") just that way in a comment before reading your question. – user21497 Jan 31 '13 at 23:56
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    You could start with the sn-words. – John Lawler Feb 1 '13 at 0:15
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    What's wrong with "snort"? – Django Reinhardt Feb 1 '13 at 4:21
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    Seriously? The PC crowd objects to snigger? That's ridiculous. – terdon Feb 1 '13 at 10:25
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whicker |ˈ(h)wɪkər|

verb [ intrans. ]

1 utter a half-suppressed laugh; snigger; titter : a half-loony whicker of nerves.

• (of a horse) give a soft breathy whinny : the palomino whickered when she saw him and stamped her foreleg.

2 move with a sound as of something hurtling through or beating the air : the soft whicker of the wind flowing through the July corn.

noun

1 a snigger; a soft, breathy whinny.

2 the sound of something beating the air.

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It's slang, but there is the word snortle. It's defined as:

A hearty laugh that is punctuated by a snort on the inhale.

Or the Wordnik entry has it defined as:

To snort; grunt.

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  • snerkles What a silly word. – Kit Z. Fox♦ Feb 1 '13 at 2:45
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snaughling - Laughing so hard you snort, then laugh because you snorted, then snort because you laughed!

Urban Dictionary

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    Could you please provide some support for this answer? Perhaps a link to a published definition? – Drew May 28 '16 at 20:00

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