WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Ris"i*ble
Part of Speech : a.
Etymology : [F., fr. L. risibilis, fr. ridere, risum, to laugh. Cf. Ridiculous.]
Definition : 1. Having the faculty or power of laughing; disposed to laugh. Laughing is our busines, . . . it has been made the definition of man that he is risible. Dr. H. More.

2. Exciting laughter; worthy to be laughed at; amusing. "Risible absurdities." Johnson. I hope you find nothing risible in my complaisance. Sir W. Scott.

3. Used in, or expressing, laughter; as, risible muscles.

Note: Risible is sometimes used as a noun, in the plural, for the feeling of amusement and for the muscles and other organs used in laughing, collectively; as, unable to control one's risibles.

Syn. -- Ludicrous; laughable; amusing; ridiculous -- Risible, Ludicrous, Ridiculous. Risible differs from ludicrous as species from genus; ludicrous expressing that which is playful and sportive; risible, that which may excite laughter. Risible differs from ridiculous, as the latter implies something contemptuous, and risible does not.

--Ris"i*ble*ness(#), n. -- Ris"i*bly, adv.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913