cough
♦ cough /k'ɒf, AM k'ɔːf/ (coughs coughing coughed)
1 [VERB] V, V
When you cough, you force air out of your throat with a sudden, harsh noise. You often cough when you are ill, or when you are nervous or want to attract someone's attention.
Graham began to cough violently...
He coughed. `Excuse me, Mrs Allsworthy, could I have a word?'
[N-COUNT]
Cough is also a noun.
They were interrupted by an apologetic cough.
● coughing [N-UNCOUNT]
He was then overcome by a terrible fit of coughing.
2 [N-COUNT]
A cough is an illness in which you cough often and your chest or throat hurts.
...if you have a persistent cough for over a month.
3 [VERB] V n
If you cough blood or mucus, it comes up out of your throat or mouth when you cough.
I started coughing blood so they transferred me to a hospital.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
Cough up means the same as cough.
On the chilly seas, Keats became feverish, continually coughing up blood.cough medi|cine (cough medicines)
[N-MASS]
Cough medicine is liquid medicine that you take when you have a cough.cough mix|ture (cough mixtures)
[N-MASS]
Cough mixture is the same as cough medicine. (BRIT)cough up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n for n, V P, also V P n, V P for n
If you cough up an amount of money, you pay or spend that amount, usually when you would prefer not to. (INFORMAL)
I'll have to cough up $10,000 a year for tuition...
Will this be enough to persuade Congress to cough up?
see also cough 3
= fork outwhoop|ing cough /h'uːpɪŋ kɒf, AM - kɔːf/
[N-UNCOUNT]
Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease which causes people to cough and make a loud noise when they breathe in.
1 [VERB] V, V
When you cough, you force air out of your throat with a sudden, harsh noise. You often cough when you are ill, or when you are nervous or want to attract someone's attention.
Graham began to cough violently...
He coughed. `Excuse me, Mrs Allsworthy, could I have a word?'
[N-COUNT]
Cough is also a noun.
They were interrupted by an apologetic cough.
● coughing [N-UNCOUNT]
He was then overcome by a terrible fit of coughing.
2 [N-COUNT]
A cough is an illness in which you cough often and your chest or throat hurts.
...if you have a persistent cough for over a month.
3 [VERB] V n
If you cough blood or mucus, it comes up out of your throat or mouth when you cough.
I started coughing blood so they transferred me to a hospital.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), also V n P
Cough up means the same as cough.
On the chilly seas, Keats became feverish, continually coughing up blood.cough medi|cine (cough medicines)
[N-MASS]
Cough medicine is liquid medicine that you take when you have a cough.cough mix|ture (cough mixtures)
[N-MASS]
Cough mixture is the same as cough medicine. (BRIT)cough up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n for n, V P, also V P n, V P for n
If you cough up an amount of money, you pay or spend that amount, usually when you would prefer not to. (INFORMAL)
I'll have to cough up $10,000 a year for tuition...
Will this be enough to persuade Congress to cough up?
see also cough 3
= fork outwhoop|ing cough /h'uːpɪŋ kɒf, AM - kɔːf/
[N-UNCOUNT]
Whooping cough is a serious infectious disease which causes people to cough and make a loud noise when they breathe in.