cough

nounexpelled air with sound

verbexpelling air with sound

Word Origin & History

early 14c., coughen, probably in Old English, but not recorded, from Proto-Germanic *kokh- (with the rough "kh" of German or of Scottish loch; cf. Middle Dutch kochen, Middle High German kuchen). Onomatopoeic. Related: Coughed; coughing. As a noun from c.1300.

Example Sentences for cough

Captain Smith affected a cough, and put his brown mare into a canter.

His father's cough had been bad all night, and this made his mother troubled and cross.

Mis' Eben Smith's got eight young ones down with the whoopin'-cough.

I then made him understand that I had a weak chest, and that the smoke made me cough.

Here a cough interrupted him, and he paused and ran his hand through his hair.

If my cough would get better, then I would get strong again.

She leant her head against the wall to cough with more force.

All the same though, this cough won't do me the service of making me croak.

As they passed the second one Carnes suddenly began to cough.

For a cough or cold, take six ounces of Malaga raisins, and beat them to a fine paste, with the same quantity of sugarcandy.

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Synonyms for cough

noun expelled air with sound

More words related to cough

wheeze

verb. breathe roughly, heavily

wheezing