cough

1 of 2

verb

ˈkȯf 

coughed; coughing; coughs

intransitive verb

1

: to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, short noise : to emit a cough (see cough entry 2 sense 1)

The dust made him cough repeatedly.

2

: to make a noise like that of coughing

The engine coughed and sputtered and then stopped.

transitive verb

: to expel by coughing

—often used with up

cough up mucus

cough

2 of 2

noun

1

: a sudden, sharp-sounding expulsion of air from the lungs acting as a protective mechanism to clear the air passages or as a symptom of pulmonary disturbance

2

: a condition marked by repeated or frequent coughing

She has a bad cough.

Examples of cough in a Sentence

Verb

She was coughing and sneezing all day.

The dust made him cough.

The engine coughed and sputtered and then stopped.

Noun

He has a cough and a cold.

They both have bad coughs.

I heard a cough from the back of the church.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Respiratory syncytial virus and other respiratory viruses have these symptoms: Runny nose, coughing, sneezing, fever, wheezing and decreased appetite. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Dec. 2024

The deaths, centered in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province, has ignited fears of a wider epidemic, with victims suffering symptoms such as fever, headaches, coughing, and anemia. —Natalie Venegas, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Noun

Bird flu symptoms in humans include typical flu-like symptoms such as eye redness, sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, fatigue, trouble swallowing or fever. —Jamie Gumbrecht, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024

Symptoms of the the flu-like disease so far include headaches, cough, fever, breathing difficulties, and anemia. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English *cohhian; akin to Middle High German kūchen to breathe heavily

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing cough

• cough drop
• cough mixture
• cough syrup
• cough up
• hacking cough
• smoker's cough
• whooping cough

Video

A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

Some imitative words are more surprising than others

Kids Definition

cough

1 of 2 verb

ˈkȯf 

1

: to force air from the lungs with a sharp short noise or series of noises

2

: to get rid of by coughing

cough up mucus

3

: to make a noise like that of coughing

an engine coughing and sputtering

cough

2 of 2 noun

1

: a condition marked by repeated or frequent coughing

2

: an act or sound of coughing

Medical Definition

cough

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈkȯf 

: to expel air from the lungs suddenly with a sharp, short noise usually in a series of efforts

transitive verb

: to expel by coughing

—often used with up

cough up mucus

cough

2 of 2 noun

1

: a condition marked by repeated, frequent coughing

he has a bad cough

2

: a sudden, sharp-sounding expulsion of air from the lungs acting as a protective mechanism to clear the air passages or as a symptom of pulmonary disturbance