hough

See also: Hough

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English hough, houȝ, hoch, howghe, from Old English hōh (“heel, hough”), from Proto-Germanic *hanhaz (“heel”). Doublet of hoo.

The regular modern English development would be /hʌf/, /haʊ/; this has been replaced by /hɒk/, originating in the compound huxen (also *hoxen), from Old English hōhsinu.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /hɒk/
• (US) IPA^(key): /hɑk/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /hʌf/
• Rhymes: -ɒk
• Homophone: hock

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. The hollow behind the knee.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     In the bright light, lightened and cooled in limb, he eyed carefully his black trousers, the ends, the knees, the houghs of the knees.

Verb

hough (third-person singular simple present houghs, present participle houghing, simple past and past participle houghed)

1. To hamstring.

Synonyms

• hamstring, hock, hox

Hypernyms

• See Thesaurus:disable

Derived terms

• hougher

Etymology 2

See hoe (“agricultural tool”).

Pronunciation

As hoe.

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Obsolete spelling of hoe

Verb

hough (third-person singular simple present houghs, present participle houghing, simple past and past participle houghed)

1. Archaic spelling of hoe.
   • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, K:LV

     Better the toiling Swain, oh happier far!

     Perhaps the happieſt of the Sons of Men!

     Who vigorous plies the Plough, the Team, or Car;

     Who houghs the Field, or ditches in the Glen,

     Delves in his Garden, or ſecures his Pen.

Etymology 3

From Middle English ho, howe, hogh, from Old English hōh (“a promontory”).

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Alternative form of hoe

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hōh (“heel”), from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄h, from Proto-Germanic *hanhaz. Compare hele (“heel”).

Alternative forms

• ho, hoche, hogh, hoȝ, hokke, hoo, houȝ, houe, howe, howghe, howh

Pronunciation

• (regular development) IPA^(key): /huːx/
• (from inflected forms) IPA^(key): /hoː/
• (generalised from Old English hōhsinu) IPA^(key): /hɔx/, /hɔk/

Noun

hough (plural houghes)

1. The heel (rear of a foot)

   Synonym: hele

2. The hough (bend of the knee)
3. The hock or its meat.

Related terms

• hokschyne

Descendants

• English: hough, hoff, hock
• Scots: hoch, houch

References

• “hough, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English hōh (“promontory”), related to hōn (“to hang”). Reinforced by unrelated Old Norse haugr (“hill, mound”).

Alternative forms

• ho, hogh, hoghe, how

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hoː/, /huːx/

Noun

hough

1. promontory, cliff

Descendants

• English: heugh; hoe, hogh, hough, how
• Scots: heuch

References

• “hough, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.