cough
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cough
(kôf, kŏf)v. coughed, cough·ing, coughs
v.intr.
1. To expel air from the lungs suddenly and noisily, often to keep the respiratory passages free of irritating material.
2. To make a noise similar to noisy expulsion of air from the lungs: The engine coughed and died.
v.tr.
To expel by coughing: coughed up phlegm.
n.
Phrasal Verb: 1. The act of coughing.
2. An illness marked by frequent coughing.
cough up Slang
1. To hand over or relinquish (money or another possession), often reluctantly.
2. To confess or disclose: When he saw that the police might arrest him, he coughed up the details of what he had seen.
3. Sports
a. To lose possession of (the ball or puck), especially because of defensive pressure from the opposing team.
b. To fail to maintain (a lead in a game).
[Middle English coughen, ultimately of imitative origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cough
(kɒf)vb
1. (Physiology) (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. (intr) slang to confess to a crime
n
5. an act, instance, or sound of coughing
6. (Pathology) a condition of the lungs or throat that causes frequent coughing
[Old English cohhetten; related to Middle Dutch kochen, Middle High German kūchen to wheeze; probably of imitative origin]
ˈcougher n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cough
(kɔf, kɒf)v.i.
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.
v.t. 4. to expel by coughing (usu. fol. by up or out).
5. cough up, Informal. to produce or relinquish, esp. reluctantly; hand over.
n. 6. the act or sound of coughing.
7. an illness characterized by frequent coughing.
8. a sound similar to a cough, as of an engine firing improperly.
[1275–1325; Middle English coghen, appar. continuing Old English *cohhian (compare its derivative cohhettan to cough); akin to Middle Dutch kuchen to cough, Middle High German kūchen to breathe]
cough′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cough
Past participle: coughed
Gerund: coughing
| Imperative |
|---|
| cough |
| cough |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  cough - a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosisrespiratory disease, respiratory disorder, respiratory illness - a disease affecting the respiratory system symptom - (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease |
| Verb | 1. | cough - exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion; "The smoker coughs all day" cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit up, spit out - discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth clear the throat, hawk - clear mucus or food from one's throat; "he cleared his throat before he started to speak" cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit up, spit out - discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
cough
verb
1. clear your throat, bark, hawk, hack, hem He began to cough violently.
cough something up (Informal) fork out, deliver, hand over, surrender, come across (informal), shell out (informal), ante up (informal, chiefly U.S.) I'll have to cough up $10,000 a year for private tuition.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
cough
[kɒf]C. CPD cough drop N → pastilla f para la tos
cough mixture N → jarabe m para la tos
cough sweet NPL → caramelo m para la tos
cough syrup N = cough mixture
cough mixture N → jarabe m para la tos
cough sweet NPL → caramelo m para la tos
cough syrup N = cough mixture
cough up
A. VT + ADV
1. [+ blood, phlegm] → escupir, arrojar (Med) → expectorar
2. (fig) [+ money] → soltar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
cough
(kof) verb to make a harsh sound when bringing air or harmful matter from the lungs or throat. He's coughing badly because he has a cold.toser
noun1. an act of coughing. He gave a cough.tos
2. an illness causing coughing. a smoker's cough.tos
ˈcough-mixture noun a medicine used for relieving coughing. jarabe contra la tos
cough up a slang expression for to pay. It's time you coughed up (the money I lent you).desembolsar, pagar
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
cough
→ tos , toserMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
cough
n. tos;
___ lozenges → pastillas para la ___;
___ suppressant → calmante para la ___;
___ syrup → jarabe para la ___;
hacking ___ → ___ seca recurrente;
v. toser;
coughing spell → ataque de ___;
to ___ up phlegm → expectorar la flema.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
cough
n tos f; barking — tos perruna; dry — tos seca; hacking — tos seca y fuerte; vt to — up expectorar (form); Are you coughing up phlegm?..Cuando tose, ¿hay flemas?…Try to cough up phlegm from your lungs..Trate de toser fuerte para sacar flemas de sus pulmones…Are you coughing up blood?..Cuando tose, ¿saca sangre?.. ¿Está tosiendo sangre?; vi toser; Cough hard..Tosa fuerte.English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.