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cough

Pronunciation: /kɒf/

Definition of cough

[no object]

expel air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound:he tried to speak and started to cough
(of an engine) make a sudden harsh noise, especially as a sign of malfunction: the engine began coughing and spluttering
[with object] force (something, especially blood) out of the lungs or throat by coughing:he coughed up bloodstained fluid
[with object] (cough something out) say something in an abrupt way:he coughed out his orders
British informal reveal information; confess:once he realized we knew, he was ready to cough fast enough

an act or sound of coughing:she gave a discreet cough
a condition of the respiratory organs causing coughing:he looked feverish and had a bad cough

Phrasal Verbs

cough something up (or cough up): informal give something reluctantly, especially money or information that is due or required:the company coughed up $40 m. in settlement of the legal claims

Middle English: of imitative origin; related to Dutch kuchen 'to cough' and German keuchen 'to pant'

Definition of cough in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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