▪ I. keckle, v.1
(ˈkɛk(ə)l)
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 W. 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 L. Carr Jud. Gwynne I. ii. 58 Then she keckled a tiny laugh of supreme derision. |
Hence ˈkeckling vbl. n. 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. |
▪ II. keckle, v.2 Naut.
(ˈkɛk(ə)l)
See also cackle v.2
[Etym. unknown.]
trans. To case a cable or hawser with rope in order to prevent chafing.
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. vii. 30 To keckell or sarue the Cable, as is said, is..to bind some old clouts to keepe it from galling in the Hawse or Ring. 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), Keckle (in Navigation), to turn a small Rope about the Cable or Bolt-rope, when we fear the galling of the Cable in the Hawse. 1882 Nares Seamanship (ed. 6) 24 Keckling a hawser [is] serving it over with rope, which keeps it from being chafed. |
Hence ˈkeckling vbl. n.; also concr. (see quot.).
| 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v., When the cables gaul in the hawse..the seamen wind some small ropes about them; and this is called keckling. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789), Kaicling, or Kecling, a name given to any old ropes, which are wound about a cable. |
▪ III. ˈkeckle, v.3 dial.
[freq. of keck.]
= keck v. 1.
| 1619 W. Whately God's Husb. i. (1622) 72 The hypocrite..can swallow a Cammell with the same throat, which did euen keckle at a Gnat. 1893 Northumbld. Gloss., Keckle,..to make a noise in the throat when swallowing. |
▪ IV. keckle, n. Sc.
(ˈkɛk(ə)l)
[f. keckle v.1]
a. A short spasmodic laugh; a chuckle. b. Cackling, chattering, etc. (Cf. cackle n. 3 b.)
| 1820 Blackw. Mag. VIII. 260 Miss Becky Glibbans gave a satirical keckle at this. 1822 Galt Provost xii. (1842) 38 ‘I' gude faith’, cried the bailie, with a keckle of exultation, ‘here's proof enough now’. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlvi. (1873) 257 A bit keckle o' a lauch. |