coughed; coughing; coughs
Definition of cough
(Entry 1 of 2)
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.
: to expel by coughing
—often used with up cough up mucus
cough
nounDefinition of cough (Entry 2 of 2)
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.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share cough
Time Traveler for cough
The first known use of cough was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century