Rolf

Part of speech: verb, interjection, noun

Definitions

1. To laugh heartily in a way that causes uncontrolled shaking or movement ; to cause someone to laugh uncontrollably by telling a joke or humorous story ; a state of intense amusement leading to physical convulsions
2. To experience or provoke laughter so strong it results in bodily motion ; to stimulate mirth in others until they cannot restrain movement ; the physical expression of excessive humor causing a shaking sensation
3. To burst into uncontrollable laughter that makes the body move involuntarily ; to induce others to laugh until they exhibit similar physical reactions ; describing a moment of humor so potent it causes shaking or physical disruption

Etymology: The word "rolf" for laughing until one's body shakes is one of those rare cases where a name seems to have been borrowed for a verb. Its most plausible source is the male name Ralph, though no one can point to the exact moment or person behind the shift. Some scholars think the sound itself may be imitative, a rolling, shaking chuckle that the name happened to match. The verb is often linked by readers to Ida Pauline Rolf, the American biochemist who developed "Rolfing," a form of deep tissue bodywork. The connection is purely a matter of shared spelling. Her name does not explain the older slang sense, and the word's history predates her work.

Synonyms: laugh, chuckle, giggle

Antonyms: cry, weep