ridibund

English

WOTD – 26 September 2010

Etymology

From the Latin rīdibundus, from rīdeō (“I laugh”) + -bundus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: rĭʹdĭbŭnd, IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪdɪbʌnd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) enPR: rĭʹdəbənd', IPA^(key): /ˈɹɪdəˌbənd/

Adjective

ridibund (comparative more ridibund, superlative most ridibund)

1. (rare) Inclined to and easily brought to laughter; happy.
   • 1863, Christoph Friedrich Grieb, A Dictionary of the English and German Languages‎^[1], Lachfrosch, page 531:

     Lachfroſch m. laughing or ridibund

   • 1931, Norman Douglas, Summer Islands: Ischia and Ponza‎^[2], page 19:

     If Ischia could procure a well-regulated outlet after the manner of Stromboli, this danger might be averted and a more ridibund race of mortals evolved.

   • 1978, Evan Esar, The Comic Encyclopedia‎^[3], page 375:

     The ridibund bumpkin in Yiddish jokelore is a hypergelast.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:ridibund.

Related terms

• ridibundal (obsolete)

Translations

easily brought to laughter

• Finnish: nauravainen

References

• “ridibund, adj.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary (draft entry; June 2010)