chuckle
v. B1 Intermediate US //ˈtʃəkəɫ// UK //tʃˈʌkəl// chuck·le
v. to laugh in a quiet, gentle way. You use this when the sound is soft and not very loud.
v. to laugh quietly and gently, often in a suppressed or amused manner. Intransitive; typically describes a brief, low-volume vocalization.
She chuckled at the funny joke.
He chuckled softly while reading the old letter from his grandmother.
The audience chuckled appreciatively at the comedian's subtle observation about modern dating rituals, a reaction that signaled their shared understanding of the social nuance.
From chuck (“laugh”) + -le.
Perhaps from chock (“a log”).