Library / English Dictionary

COUGH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A 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

Synonyms:

cough; coughing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("cough" is a kind of...):

symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)

Holonyms ("cough" is a part of...):

respiratory disease; respiratory disorder; respiratory illness (a disease affecting the respiratory system)

Derivation:

cough (exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion

Example:

The smoker coughs all day

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "cough" is one way to...):

cough out; cough up; expectorate; spit out; spit up (discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cough"):

hack; whoop (cough spasmodically)

clear the throat; hawk (clear mucus or food from one's throat)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Also:

cough out; cough up (discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth)

cough up (give reluctantly)

Derivation:

cough; coughing (a 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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Besides, their cough is very bad—the dry cough that makes strong men swear and weak men cry.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

From the open door there reeked a horrible poisonous exhalation which set us gasping and coughing.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He shrank away and then fell forward upon the table, coughing furiously and clawing among the papers.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Signs and symptoms include sore throat, cough, swallowing difficulties, and hoarseness.

(Acute Laryngitis, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs and symptoms include fever, coughing, sneezing, and sore throat.

(Acute Nasopharyngitis, NCI Thesaurus)

The Chlamydia cause respiratory infection manifested with fever, malaise, cough, dyspnea, sore throat, photophobia and headaches.

(Chlamydia Psittaci Infection, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs and symptoms include chest tightness, cough and wheezing.

(Byssinosis, NCI Thesaurus)

B. parapertussis is found in the respiratory tract of mammals where it usually causes a mild form of whooping cough.

(Bordetella parapertussis, NCI Thesaurus)

The active ingredient in a drug used to treat symptoms of asthma, such as trouble breathing, tight chest, wheezing, coughing, and runny nose.

(Montelukast, NCI Dictionary)

This causes the bronchi to make large amounts of mucus and can lead to a chronic cough and breathing problems.

(Chronic Bronchitis, NCI Dictionary)