cough

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Contents

English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

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 [edit]

Verb [edit]

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 [edit]

Translations [edit]

Noun [edit]

cough (plural coughs)

Examples
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  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 [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

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