Definition of "cackle" [cac•kle]

• To make the shrill cry characteristic of a hen after laying an egg. (verb-intransitive)
• To laugh or talk in a shrill manner. (verb-intransitive)
• To utter in cackles: cackled a sarcastic reply. (verb-transitive)
• The act or sound of cackling. (noun)
• Shrill laughter. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "* cackle, cackle* "I don't know what you're talking about.""
• "He describes Clinton's laugh as a "cackle" -- which led to the Politico's Mike Allen telling him, "Chris, first of all, 'cackle' is a very sexist term.""
• "Here are some common dictionary definitions of "cackle," none of which are appropriate in the context of Palin's tweet: cack·le (kkl) v. intr."