[perh. related to, or in use associated with, CHUCK sb.4: cf. -LE.]
A. adj. Big and clumsy (?) like a chuck of firewood, blockish: applied contemptuously to the head, and occas. to other parts.
1721. D’Urfey, Athenian Jilt, in New Opera’s, 164. The Dew laps from his chuckle Chin, That had with gorging pamper’d been.
1863. Robson, Bards of Tyne, 343. The lubbart wi’ the chuckle heed.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., I. xiii. 260. He had forgot her great chuckle-head, greyhound-flanks, and drooping hind-quarters.
B. sb. A big hulking fellow, a chuckle-head.
1731–1800. Bailey, Chuckle, a rattling, noisy, empty Fellow.
1818. J. H. Frere, Whistlecraft’s National Poem, I. xlv. And thus disabled that stupendous Chuckle.
C. Comb. chuckle-pate, block-head (also attrib.).
1820. Blackw. Mag., VII. 677. And the pence were put down by the chucklepate many.
