Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
couch (1)
couch (2)
couch grass
couch potato
couchant
couchette
coudé
cougar
cough
cough button
cough drop
cough syrup
cough up
could
could’ve
couldn’t
couldst
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "cough" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

cough

cough [ kawf ]


verb  (past and past participle coughed, present participle cough·ing, 3rd person present singular coughs)
Definition:
 
1. intransitive verb expel air from lungs noisily: to release air through the windpipe and mouth sharply and noisily

2. transitive verb expel something by coughing: to expel something from the lungs or windpipe by coughing

3. intransitive verb make sharp noise: to make a noise that is similar to the sound of somebody coughing



noun  (plural coughs)
Definition:
 
1. act or sound of coughing: a sudden noisy release of air through the windpipe and mouth, often expelling an obstruction

2. illness causing coughing: an illness causing coughing because of an infection in the lungs

[14th century. Ultimately < Germanic, an imitation of the sound]

cough·er noun
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
Shopping
© 2009 Microsoft