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View synonyms for

cough

[ kawf, kof ]

verb (used without object)

  1. to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a harsh noise, often involuntarily.
  2. (of an internal-combustion engine) to make a similar noise as a result of the failure of one or more cylinders to fire in sequence.
  3. to make a similar sound, as a machine gun firing in spurts.


verb (used with object)

  1. to expel by coughing (usually followed by up or out ):

    to cough up phlegm.

noun

  1. the act or sound of coughing.
  2. an illness characterized by frequent coughing.
  3. a sound similar to a cough, a machine gun, or an engine firing improperly.

verb phrase

  1. Slang.
    1. to relinquish, especially reluctantly; contribute; give.
    2. to blurt out; state, as by way of making a confession:

      After several hours of vigorous questioning by the police, he finally coughed up the information.

cough

/ ɒ /

verb

  1. intr to expel air or solid matter from the lungs abruptly and explosively through the partially closed vocal chords
  2. intr to make a sound similar to this
  3. tr to utter or express with a cough or coughs
  4. slang.
    intr to confess to a crime
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an act, instance, or sound of coughing
  2. a condition of the lungs or throat that causes frequent coughing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cough

  1. The act of expelling air from the lungs suddenly and noisily, often to keep the respiratory passages free of irritating material.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈdzܲ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • dzܲİ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cough1

1275–1325; Middle English coghen, apparently < Old English *cohhian (compare its derivative cohhettan to cough); akin to Dutch kuchen to cough, German keuchen to wheeze
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cough1

Old English cohhetten; related to Middle Dutch kochen, Middle High German ū to wheeze; probably of imitative origin
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Symptoms of measles include a high fever — above 101 degrees — cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes and a rash, which usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

From

The school requires students in seventh grade and above to get their Tdap booster, which provides elevated immunity against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, or whooping cough.

From

And it commits taxpayers to start coughing up to save the steel industry – for how long, is a more complicated question.

From

The signs to look out for include cough, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure and irregular heart rate.

From

Recently, he went to hospital after coughing up blood, and was told he had pneumonia - but rather than being kept in hospital, he was discharged into the care of Washwood clinic's respiratory service.

From

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