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DictionaryhootLoud call
noun / verb

hoot

HOOT/hˈut/

A loud, hollow call or cry.

He lets out a sudden hoot of laughter.

A compact three-moment sequence shows a man erupting into one startling hoot of laughter, then immediately settling back into a closed-mouth grin.
Etymology
hootMiddle Englishto shout, call out

Hoot probably connects with houten, a sound-imitating verb for shouting. The noun first described a cry of dissatisfaction or contempt; the verb later also meant “to laugh.”

In context

Libranima69:00
that ancient, jeering hoot, with which drunken men were then pursued:
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - Hugo (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 2 of 2

More examples

  • An owl hooted beyond the trees.
  • Several hoots answered from the dark.
  • The audience is hooting at the absurd scene.

Forms

hoot · hoots · hooted · hooting

Similar words

call
Call does not specify a hollow tone.
whoop
Whoop usually suggests an excited rising cry.