Cough: Meaning, Examples, and Common Usage

Meaning 1：cough (Cough)

Cough 🔊

/kɒf/

v., n.

To force air out of your throat with a sudden, sharp sound, often because your throat feels sore or blocked.

cough 🔊

➕

/kɒf/

v., n.

To force air out of your throat with a sudden, sharp sound, often because your throat feels sore or blocked.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'coghian', an onomatopoeic word imitating the sound of a sharp exhalation.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a 'cof' sound: think of a coffee cup shaken – the 'cough' is the sudden release of air.

📖 Example

The room was so dusty that he couldn't help but cough several times. 🔊 The room was so dusty that he couldn't help but cough several times.

🔗 Collocations

cough up – to expel something from the throat by coughing

barking cough – a harsh, dry cough often associated with croup

cough drop – a medicated lozenge for soothing a cough

🔄 Synonyms

hack (v.) – to cough roughly and repeatedly, often in a dry manner

clear one's throat (phrase) – to deliberately cough lightly to remove phlegm or get attention

🚫 Antonyms

breathe silently (phrase) – to inhale and exhale without any audible sound

🌱 Derivatives

cougher (n.) – a person who coughs

coughing (adj.) – characterized by or producing a cough

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from Proto-Germanic *kōh-; similar words exist in Dutch (kuchen) and German (husten). Its onomatopoeic origin reflects the natural sound of the action.