Cough Syrup: Definition, Uses, and Examples

Meaning 1：liquid cough remedy (cough syrup)

cough syrup 🔊

/kɔːf ˈsɪrəp/

A sweet, thick liquid medicine that helps to stop or reduce coughing.

Cough syrup bottle on counter with spoon and water

liquid cough remedy 🔊

➕

/ˈlɪkwɪd kɔːf ˈrɛmədi/

A sweet, thick liquid medicine taken orally to suppress or relieve coughing, often flavored for palatability.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Cough (Old English 'cohhian') + Syrup (Arabic 'sharāb' via Latin 'syrupus').

💡 Mnemonic

A sweet red syrup that makes coughs disappear — think of a spoonful of relief.

📖 Example

My throat felt scratchy, so I took a spoonful of cough syrup before going to bed. 🔊 My throat felt scratchy, so I took a spoonful of cough syrup before going to bed.

🔗 Collocations

take cough syrup – To consume a dose of liquid cough medicine.

a bottle of cough syrup – A container holding the liquid cough medicine.

cough syrup dosage – The recommended amount of cough medicine to take.

🔄 Synonyms

cough medicine (n) – A general term for any medication used to treat coughing.

expectorant (n) – A type of medicine that helps clear mucus from the airways, sometimes found in cough syrups.

antitussive (n) – A drug that suppresses or prevents coughing, often a key ingredient in cough syrups.

🌱 Derivatives

cough syrups (n) – Plural form of cough syrup.

📖 Cultural Story

Cough syrup as a medical term dates to the 19th century when patent medicines containing opium or honey were marketed. 'Syrup' traces to Arabic 'sharāb' (drink). Modern versions often use dextromethorphan.