What does 'Abderitan laughter' mean?
'Abderitan laughter' means scoffing or incessant laughter — after Abdera, the birthplace of Democritus, the laughing philosopher. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), human-proofread transcription on English Wikisource records: “Scoffing laughter, incessant laughter. So called from Abdēra, the birthplace of Democrītos, the laughing philospher.”
Origin
- Verbatim from Brewer's (1898): Scoffing laughter, incessant laughter. So called from Abdēra, the birthplace of Democrītos, the laughing philospher.
How to use it
- Modern usage: 'Abderitan laughter' means scoffing or incessant laughter — after Abdera, the birthplace of Democritus, the laughing philosopher.
- When quoting the origin, cite Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — this is a 19th-century record, not a modern etymology.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.