Forms: 6 kekell, kekkyl, 6–7 kekle, 7– keckle. [var. (chiefly Sc.) of CACKLE v.1, and in sense 2 of CHECKLE v.]
1. intr. Of a hen or other bird: To cackle.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. Prol. 118. And kais keklis on the ruiff abone.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 39. Quhilk gart the hennis kekkyl.
1635. Barriffe, Mil. Discip. (1643), 351. That will not take the liberty of a Hen to keckle over her owne egge.
1883. Graham, Writings, II. 31 (E. D. D.). Whan the hens begin to keckle.
2. Of a person: To chuckle, laugh, giggle, CHECKLE.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. iv. 40. The Troianis lauchis fast seand hym fall, And, hym behaldand swym, thai keklit all.
1728. Ramsay, Bob of Dunblane, i. For fainness, deary, I’ll gar ye keckle.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xi. (1859), 246. He keckled at his small joke very complacently.
b. trans. To utter with or express by chuckling.
1857. Kingsley, Two Y. Ago, iv. I. 104. ‘Ah, you’re a wag, Sir,’ keckled the old man.
1874. Lisle Carr, Jud. Gwynne, I. ii. 58. Then she keckled a tiny laugh of supreme derision.
Hence Keckling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1719. Ramsay, 3rd. Answ. Hamilton, xv. Gin ony … Ca’ me conceited keckling chucky.
1790. Scots Songs, II. 51. A keckling hen To lay her eggs in plenty.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge, xxi. The laughing, and fistling, and keckling we heard.
