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| hic·cup [ hí kùp, híkəp ] or hic·cough [ hí kùp, híkəp ] |
noun (plural hic·cups) (plural hic·coughs) |
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| Definition: |
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1. sudden contraction of diaphragm: an abrupt involuntary contraction of the diaphragm that causes an intake of breath and closes the vocal cords, resulting in a convulsive gasp
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2. gulping sound: the gulping sound that accompanies a hiccup or a sound like this
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3. hitch in arrangements: a temporary setback to somebody's plans or arrangements
(
informal
)
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plural noun hic·cups |
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| Definition: |
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gulping intakes of breath: an attack of repeated involuntary spasms of the diaphragm, resulting in periodic noisy gulps of breath
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verb (past and past participle hic·cuped or hic·cupped, present participle hic·cup·ing or hic·cup·ping, 3rd person present singular hic·cups) (past and past participle hic·coughed, present participle hic·cough·ing, 3rd person present singular hic·coughs) |
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| Definition: |
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1. intransitive verb produce hiccup: to have a spasm of the diaphragm resulting in a hiccup
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2. intransitive verb make hiccup noises: to make the sound of, or a sound like, a hiccup
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3. transitive verb utter something while hiccuping: to say something with a hiccup or hiccups
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| [Late 16th century. An imitation of the sound] |
