cough

English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kuh- (unattested in Old English, but probably present as *cohhian; compare cohhetan (“shout”)). Cognate with Dutch kuchen (“cough”), German keuchen (“pant”), Albanian hukat (“pant, gasp”).

Pronunciation

Verb

cough (third-person singular simple present coughs, present participle coughing, simple past and past participle coughed)

  1. To push air from the lungs in a quick, noisy explosion.
    I breathed in a load of smoke by mistake, and started to cough.
    • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter XI:
      I drew a deep breath, and a moment later wished I hadn't, because I drew it while drinking the remains of my gin and tonic. “Does Kipper know of this?“ I said, when I had finished coughing.
  2. To make a noise like a cough
    The engine coughed and sputtered.

Derived terms

Translations

push air from the lungs
make a noise like a cough

Noun

cough (plural coughs)

  1. A sudden, usually noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, often involuntary.
    Behind me, I heard a distinct, dry cough.
  2. A condition that causes one to cough; a tendency to cough.
    Sorry, I can't come to work today – I've got a nasty cough.

Hyponyms

  • loose cough
  • non-productive cough
  • productive cough
  • smoker's cough
  • wet cough

Derived terms

Translations

expulsion of air from the lungs
condition that causes one to cough
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Last modified on 22 May 2013, at 23:28