cough

C3O1U1G2H4
UK/kɒf/UK/kɔːf/US/kɔf/cot caught merger/kɑf/

verb

Sometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.

“Sometimes she coughed up blood.”

Similar
tussiscoughing
OriginMiddle English coughen ← Old English *cohhian ← Proto-West Germanic *kuh- →
CommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

cough1

verbcough (third-person singular simple present coughs, present participle coughing, simple past and past participle coughed)

present singular third person coughs · participle present coughing · participle past coughed · past coughed · first person past singular coughed · archaic present second person singular coughest · past second person singular coughed · archaic past second person singular coughedst · present singular third person coughs · archaic present singular third person cougheth · past singular third person coughed · past plural coughed · past subjunctive coughed · participle present coughing · participle past coughed

  1. transitivemedicineSometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.

    Sometimes she coughed up blood.

    1 more example

    Jeeves coughed one soft, low, gentle cough like a sheep with a blade of grass stuck in its throat, and then stood gazing serenely at the landscape.

    1923 May 17, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “The Great Sermon Handicap”, in The Inimitable Jeeves, Harmondsworth, Middlesex [London]: Penguin Books, published 1979, →ISBN, page 139
  2. transitivemedicineTo cause (oneself or something) to be in a certain condition in the manner described in etymology 1 sense 1.1.

    He almost coughed himself into a fit.

  3. transitivemedicineTo express (words, etc.) in the manner described in etymology 1 sense 1.1.

    No ſtationary ſteeds / Cough their ovvn knell, vvhile heedleſs of the ſound / The ſilent circle fan themſelves, and quake.

    1785, William Cowper, “Book IV. The Winter Evening.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, pages 144–145
  4. figurativelytransitivemedicineTo surrender (information); to confess.
  5. figurativelyslangtransitivemedicineChiefly followed by up: to give up or hand over (something); especially, to pay up (money).

    Thanks to Jeeves I was not going to be called on to cough up several thousand quid.

    1923 May 17, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC, page 40
    2 more examples

    By the time you get back the men will all be striking out for the fire, and we'll break for the house and collar the dollars. Everybody cough up what matches he's got.

    1909 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking”, in Roads of Destiny, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, →OCLC, page 324

    "Parsloe, will you or will you not cough up that pig?" / "I have not got your pig."

    1929 March–August, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “A Job for Percy Pilbeam”, in Summer Lightning, 1st UK edition, London: Herbert Jenkins […], published 19 July 1929, →OCLC, section II, page 148
  6. intransitiveTo push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth, usually to expel something blocking or irritating the airway.

    I breathed in a lungful of smoke by mistake, and started to cough.

    5 more examples

    Yet notwithſtandyng all this geare, / thou cougheſt ſtill, perdy / Ye are a craftie knaue, you cough / to fare deliciouſly.

    1577, Martial, “Epigrammes out of Martial. [To Parthenope.]”, in Timothe Kendall, transl., Flowers of Epigrammes […], [Manchester]: […] [Charles Simms] for the Spenser Society, published 1874, →OCLC, pages 56–57

    Leave procreants alone, and ſhut the dore, / Coffe, or cry hem, if any body come, […]

    c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 70

    "Did your lordship's servant see Simon Glover and his daughter?" said Henry, struggling for breath, and coughing, to conceal from the Provost the excess of his agitation.

    1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter X, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 259

    But often, when thy face [i.e., that of a horse] is turned from the stable, thou hast an unaccountable desire to place it in the position occupied by thy tail: thou stoppest, coughest, shyest, and erst, with swift detorsion, turnest round, then, with sidelong glance of my magic caduceus, ominously wagging between the horizon and thy ample sides, I incite thee on, but rarely does thy pace more than trot, from home.

    1835 January 23 (date written), Frederic James Post, “A Discourse Touching Rides and Riding”, in Extracts from the Diary and Other Manuscripts of the Late Frederic James Post, of Islington. […], London: […] [James Moyes] for private circulation, published 1838, →OCLC, pages 331–332

    Tossivi / Tu tossais / Thou coughedst

    The Improvised Polyglot, or The Art of Writing Languages without Learning Them. […]

    [[1840], A[ngelo] Renzi, “Verbi. Verbes. Verbs.”, in Le polyglotte improvisé, ou l’art d’écrire les langues sans les appendre. […] [The Improvised Polyglot, or The Art of Writing Languages without Learning Them. […]], Paris: Chez l‘auteur, […]; Chez Baudry, […], et Chez les Principaux Libraries, →OCLC, page 498
  7. intransitiveTo make a noise like a cough.

    The engine coughed and sputtered.

    1 more example

    Wake up, by-and-by, and look to see what done it, and maybe see a steamboat, coughing along up stream, so far off towards the other side you couldn't tell nothing about her only whether she was stern-wheel or side-wheel; then for about an hour there wouldn't be nothing to hear nor nothing to see—just solid lonesomeness.

    1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter XIX, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, pages 169–170
  8. intransitiveslangTo surrender information; to confess, to spill the beans.

cough2

nouncough (plural coughs)

plural coughs

  1. A sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.

    Behind me, I heard a distinct, dry cough.

    5 more examples

    [I]t conduceth helpe to the crudities, humidities, and vvindineſſe of the ſtomacke and belly, and to helpe the ſhortneſſe of breath and coughes: […]

    1640, John Parkinson, “Cyperus dulcis rotundus esculentus, Trasi dulce vocatus. The Most Delicate Sweet Cyperus, or Rush Nut.”, in Theatrum Botanicum: The Theater of Plants. Or, An Herball of a Large Extent: […], London: […] Tho[mas] Cotes, →OCLC, page 148

    The lumpiſh husband ſnoar'd avvay the night, / Till coughs avvak'd him near the morning light.

    1709, Alexander Pope, “January and May; or, The Merchant’s Tale, from Chaucer”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC, page 223

    Dwining ventured to give a low cough once or twice, by way of signal; […]

    1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 12

    One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.” He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis and another boy interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable.

    1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 26

    Jeeves coughed one soft, low, gentle cough like a sheep with a blade of grass stuck in its throat, and then stood gazing serenely at the landscape.

    1923 May 17, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC, page 139
  2. A bout of repeated coughing (verb etymology 1 sense 2.1); also, a medical condition that causes one to cough.

    whooping cough

    3 more examples

    Sorry, I can’t come to work today—I’ve got a nasty cough.

    [John] Fal[staff]. VVhat diſeaſe haſt thou? / [Peter] Bul[lcaff]. A horſon cold ſir, a cough ſir, vvhich I cought vvith ringing in the Kings affaires vpon his coronation day ſir.

    c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

    Cough! you don't need to tell me about a cough. I've always been subject to a cough, all my days. […] O! Eva's cough is not anything.

    1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “Foreshadowings”, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume II, Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC, page 81

    Synonyms: tussis

  3. figurativelyA noise or sound like a cough (etymology 2, noun sense 1).
  4. A vocalisation from a bird or other animal resembling a human cough.
interjection
  1. Used to represent the sound of a cough (noun sense 1), especially when focusing attention on a following utterance, often an attribution of blame or a euphemism: ahem.

    He was—cough—indisposed.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA bout of repeated coughing (verb etymology 1 sense 2.1); also, a medical condition that causes one to cough.

Similar
tussis
Narrower
anticoughbarking coughbitonal coughblood coughchesty coughchin coughchink coughchoking coughchurchyard coughcongested coughcoughbushcoughlesscoughwortcroupy coughdry cougheffective coughhabit coughhacking coughhooping coughwhooping coughkennel coughKhumbu coughlingering coughloose coughminer's coughnasty coughnervous coughnon-productive coughobstinate coughparoxysmal coughpersistent coughproductive coughretching coughsingle coughsmoker's coughsnoughspasmodic coughspicy coughstaccato coughtickling cough

More synonyms by meaning

nouna 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 tuberculosis

Similar
coughing
Broader
symptom
Also see
coughing

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

cough · verb

  1. Proto-West Germanic*kuh-“to cough”
  2. Old English*cohhian
  3. Middle Englishcoughen
  4. Englishcough

From Middle English coughen, coghen (“to cough; to vomit”) [and other forms], from Old English *cohhian (compare Old English cohhetan (“to bluster; to riot; to cough (?)”)), from Proto-West Germanic *kuh- (“to cough”), ultimately of onomatopoeic origin. Cognates * Middle Dutch cuchen (“to cough”) (modern Dutch kuchen (“to cough”); German Low German kuchen (“to cough”)) * Middle High German kûchen (“to breathe (on); to exhale”), kîchen (“to breathe with difficulty”) (modern German keichen, keuchen (“to breathe with difficulty; to gasp, pant”)) * Spanish cof (“coughing sound”) * West Frisian kiche (“to cough”), kochelje (“to cough persistently”)

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

cough · noun, interjection

  1. Middle Englishcough“a cough; illness causing coughing”
  2. Englishcough

The noun is derived from Middle English cough (“a cough; illness causing coughing”) [and other forms], from coughen (verb): see etymology 1. The interjection is probably derived from the noun.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans hoes
  • hoesto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
Ancient Greek βήσσω, βήξ
  • βήσσω (bḗssō)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • βήξ (bḗx)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Arabic كَحَّ, سَعَلَ
  • كَحَّ (kaḥḥa)to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • سَعَلَ (saʕala)to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • سَعَلَ (saʕala)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • سُعْلَة (suʕla)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • سُعَال (suʕāl)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • كُحَّة (kuḥḥa)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Basque eztul egin, eztul
  • eztul eginto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • eztulsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Bengali কাশা
  • কাশা (kaśa)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
Bulgarian ка́шлям, ка́шлям
  • ка́шлям (kášljam)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • ка́шлям (kášljam)to make a noise like a cough
  • ка́шлица (kášlica)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • ка́шлица (kášlica)bout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Catalan tossir, tos
  • tossirto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tossudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Chinese Cantonese 咳
  • 咳 (kat¹)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
Chinese Mandarin 咳嗽, 咳嗽
  • 咳嗽 (késou)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • 咳嗽 (késou)to make a noise like a cough
  • 咳嗽 (késou)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Czech kašlat, kašlat
  • kašlatto force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • kašlatto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kašlatto make a noise like a cough
  • kašelsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • kašelbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Danish hoste, hoste
  • hosteto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hosteto make a noise like a cough
  • hostesudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • hostebout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Dutch hoesten, kuchen
  • hoestento push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kuchento push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hoestsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • kuchsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • hoestbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Esperanto tusi, tusi
  • tusito push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tusito make a noise like a cough
  • tusosudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Estonian köhatama, köha
  • köhatamato push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • köhasudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Finnish yskiä, kakoa
  • yskiäto force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • kakoato force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • yskiäto cause (oneself or something) to be in a certain condition in the manner specified in sense 1.1
  • kakaistato express (words, etc.) in the manner specified in sense 1.1
  • köhiäto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • yskiäto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • yskiäto make a noise like a cough
  • yskähdyssudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • yskäisysudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • yskäbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
  • yskänoise or sound like a cough
  • köhused to represent the sound of a cough
French tousser, tousser
  • tousserto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tousserto make a noise like a cough
  • touxsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • touxbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
German husten, husten
  • hustento force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • hustento push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hustento make a noise like a cough
  • Hustensudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • Hustenbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Greek βήχω, βήχω
  • βήχω (vícho)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • βήχω (vícho)to make a noise like a cough
  • βήχας (víchas)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • βήχας (víchas)bout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Hawaiian kunu, kunu
  • kunuto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kunusudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Hebrew השתעל, השתעל
  • השתעל (hishta'él)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • השתעל (hishtaél)to make a noise like a cough
  • שיעול \ שִׁעוּל (shi'úl)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Hindi खाँसना, खांसना
  • खाँसना (khā̃snā)to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • खांसना (khānsnā)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • खाँसना (khā̃snā)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • खांसी (khānsī)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • खाँसी (khā̃sī)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Hungarian köhög, köhögés
  • köhögto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • köhögéssudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Icelandic hósta, hósti
  • hóstato push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hóstisudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Indonesian batuk, batuk
  • batukto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • batuksudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • batukbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
  • uhuknoise or sound like a cough
Irish bí ag casacht, déan casacht
  • bí ag casachtto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • déan casachtto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • casachtsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Italian tossire, tossire
  • tossireto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tossireto make a noise like a cough
  • tossesudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • colpo di tossesudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • tossebout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Japanese 咳をする, 咳払いをする
  • 咳をする (seki o suru)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • 咳払いをする (sekibarai o suru)to make a noise like a cough
  • 咳 (seki)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Korean 기침하다, 기침
  • 기침하다 (gichimhada)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • 기침 (gichim)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Latin tussiō, tussis
  • tussiōto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tussissudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Latvian kāsēt, klepot
  • kāsētto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • klepotto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • klepussudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • kāsssudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Lithuanian kosėti, kosulys
  • kosėtito push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kosulyssudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • kchèused to represent the sound of a cough
Malay batuk, batuk
  • batukto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • batuksudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Norwegian Bokmål hoste, host
  • hosteto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hostsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • hostebout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Persian کهیدن, سرفیدن
  • کهیدن (kohidan)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • سرفیدن (sorfidan)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • سرفه کردن (sorfe kardan)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • سرفه (sorfe)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Polish kaszleć, kaszlnąć
  • kaszlećto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kaszlnąćto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kaszlećto make a noise like a cough
  • kaszelsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Portuguese tossir, tossir
  • tossirto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tossirto make a noise like a cough
  • tossesudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • tossebout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Punjabi ਖੰਘਣਾ, ਖੰਘ
  • ਖੰਘਣਾ (khaṅghṇā)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • ਖੰਘ (khaṅgh)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Romanian tuși, tuse
  • tușito push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • tusesudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Russian выка́шливать, вы́кашлять
  • выка́шливать (vykášlivatʹ)to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • вы́кашлять (výkašljatʹ)to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • ка́шлять (kášljatʹ)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • кашляну́ть (kašljanútʹ)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • ка́шлять (kášljatʹ)to make a noise like a cough
  • кашляну́ть (kašljanútʹ)to make a noise like a cough
  • ка́шель (kášelʹ)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • ка́шель (kášelʹ)bout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
  • кхе (kxe)used to represent the sound of a cough
  • кха (kxa)used to represent the sound of a cough
  • кхм (kxm)used to represent the sound of a cough
Scottish Gaelic dèan casad, casad
  • dèan casadto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • casadsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • casadbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Slovak kašľať, kašeľ
  • kašľaťto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • kašeľsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Spanish toser, toser
  • toserto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • toserto make a noise like a cough
  • tossudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • tosbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
  • cofused to represent the sound of a cough
Swahili -kohoa, -kohoa
  • -kohoato push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • -kohoato make a noise like a cough
  • kikohozisudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • kohozibout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Swedish hosta, hosta
  • hostato force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • hostato push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hostato make a noise like a cough
  • hostningsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • hostabout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
  • hostused to represent the sound of a cough
Tagalog umubo, ubo
  • umuboto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • ubosudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Tamil இருமு, இருமல்
  • இருமு (irumu)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • இருமல் (irumal)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Thai ไอ, การไอ
  • ไอ (ai)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • การไอsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • ไอ (ai)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • อาการไอsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Turkish öksürmek, öksürmek
  • öksürmekto force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • öksürmekto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • öksürüksudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • öksürükbout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Ukrainian ка́шляти, кашляну́ти
  • ка́шляти (kášljaty)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • кашляну́ти (kašljanúty)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • ка́шляти (kášljaty)to make a noise like a cough
  • ка́шель (kášelʹ)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
  • ка́шель (kášelʹ)bout of repeated coughing; medical condition that causes one to cough
Urdu کھان٘سنا, کھان٘سنا
  • کھان٘سنا (khā̃snā)to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth
  • کھان٘سنا (khā̃snā)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • کھانسی (khānsī)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Vietnamese ho, ho
  • hoto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • hoto make a noise like a cough
  • sự hosudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Welsh pesychu, peswch
  • pesychuto push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • peswchsudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth
Yiddish הוסטן, הוסט
  • הוסטן (hustn)to push air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound) and out through the mouth
  • הוסט (hust)sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cough

ofthroughstaffhalfenoughbehalfgraphtoughroughlaughbluffdoughcalfcuffbufforfsloughtroughhuffruffsnuffflufftuffgoff
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

qoph (cot–caught merger)qoph (cot–caught merger)qoph (cot–caught merger)

Anagrams

gouch
Cite this entry
APA

cough. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cough

MLA

“cough.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cough. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cough,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cough.

Source: cough on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.