laughter lines

English

An elderly woman with extensive laughter lines

Alternative forms

• laughter-lines

Etymology

Especially visible when smiling or laughing.

Noun

laughter lines pl (plural only)

1. Wrinkles at the outer corners of the eye.

   Synonym: crow's feet

   • 1919, Cosmo Hamilton, Who Cares?‎^[1]:

     She wanted to hear his man's voice and see the laughter-lines come and go round his eyes.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see laughter,‎ lines.
   • 1903, Ambrose Bierce, “The Saint and the Monk”, in Shapes of Clay‎^[2]:

     A fat, orbicular and jolly soul / With laughter-lines upon each rosy jowl

Further reading

• “laughter lines”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• slaughterline