Cough
noun
The act of expelling air from the lungs with a sudden, sharp sound.
She has a bad cough.
Often appears as...
- persistent cough
- dry cough
verb
To expel air or gas noisily from the lungs, often involuntarily.
She started to cough during the lecture.
Often appears as...
- cough violently
- cough up phlegm
verb
To express or tell something in a non-direct and unclear way.
He coughed up the secret.
Often appears as...
- cough up the truth
- cough up details
Usage tips
Colloquial
noun
The act of expelling air from the lungs with a sudden, sharp sound.
She has a bad cough.
Often appears as...
- persistent cough
- dry cough
verb
To expel air or gas noisily from the lungs, often involuntarily.
She started to cough during the lecture.
Often appears as...
- cough violently
- cough up phlegm
verb
To express or tell something in a non-direct and unclear way.
He coughed up the secret.
Often appears as...
- cough up the truth
- cough up details
Usage tips
Colloquial
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Health Indicator
A 'cough' often suggests illness, used to show concern or sympathy.
I hope your cough gets better soon.
Pro Tip 2/3Describing Coughs
'Cough' can be qualified for specifics, like 'dry' for no mucus or 'wet' for lots of it.
The dry cough has been bothering her all night.
Pro Tip 3/3Disruption
A 'cough' can interrupt a quiet environment, often seen as polite to cover mouths.
His loud cough disturbed the silence in the library.
Pro Tip 1/3Health Indicator
A 'cough' often suggests illness, used to show concern or sympathy.
I hope your cough gets better soon.
Pro Tip 2/3Describing Coughs
'Cough' can be qualified for specifics, like 'dry' for no mucus or 'wet' for lots of it.
The dry cough has been bothering her all night.
Pro Tip 3/3Disruption
A 'cough' can interrupt a quiet environment, often seen as polite to cover mouths.
His loud cough disturbed the silence in the library.
Pro Tip 1/3Health Indicator
A 'cough' often suggests illness, used to show concern or sympathy.
I hope your cough gets better soon.
Pro Tip 2/3Describing Coughs
'Cough' can be qualified for specifics, like 'dry' for no mucus or 'wet' for lots of it.
The dry cough has been bothering her all night.
Pro Tip 3/3Disruption
A 'cough' can interrupt a quiet environment, often seen as polite to cover mouths.
His loud cough disturbed the silence in the library.
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Video examples
A Grumpy Shoebill...
don't meet the guevara caught a passenger on uh mosley cough butts and burtles or bobo but he picked out benito panettone who was bombing doing the wing like an extra set missile man he cushioned it on his chest knocked meg george here flicked it up one of these buns one lollipop two lollipop three and then he laid it on a
Video examples
Is it bad to hold your...
causing it to relax and the bladder to empty. The external urethral sphincter is one of the muscles of the pelvic floor, and it provides support to the urethra and bladder neck. It's lucky we have these pelvic floor muscles because placing pressure on the system by coughing, sneezing, laughing,
Video examples
Why is pneumonia so...
called cilia that carry the mucus toward the mouth, where it can be coughed out. But some of these invaders may get past the mucociliary escalator into the lungs, where they meet the alveoli. Because alveoli serve as critical exchange points between the blood and air from the outside world,
Video examples
Why is meningitis so...
when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It can also be transmitted through kissing, or sharing cigarettes, toothbrushes or utensils. Some people can be infected and carry the disease without showing symptoms or getting sick, which helps the disease spread quickly to others.
Video examples
Laurie Garrett: What can...
We don't know how important hand washing is for flu -- shocking. One assumes it's a good idea to wash your hands a lot. But actually in scientific community there is great debate about what percentage of flu transmission between people is from sneezing and coughing
Video examples
3 ways to build a happy...
So in a modern society, we know that prevention is better than cure. We vaccinate against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles. We have awareness campaigns for melanoma, stroke, diabetes -- all important campaigns.
Video examples
Ending energy poverty...
match to light your kerosene lantern you are burning jet fuel and you're struggling to see from the dim light of that lantern as you cough from the toxic fumes besides contributing to the millions of deaths each year caused by
Video examples
How we must respond to...
all the way to the back of your throat, which hurts a lot, but also, you're going to cough and potentially spread the disease to that health care worker. So they have to have protective equipment and change that.
Video examples
Cameras Reveal the...
playing tag and for ma T a refresher on table manners the camera catches another rare and unexpected moment when frostbite appears to be coughing and we are able to see her mother come in to comfort her
Video examples
Baby Elephant Has Broken...
any further infection infection in a fractured bone could be fatal the antibiotics should save her life so the young cough like this should heal very fast miro is coming round but she's totally confused
Video examples
A Grumpy Shoebill...
don't meet the guevara caught a passenger on uh mosley cough butts and burtles or bobo but he picked out benito panettone who was bombing doing the wing like an extra set missile man he cushioned it on his chest knocked meg george here flicked it up one of these buns one lollipop two lollipop three and then he laid it on a
Video examples
Is it bad to hold your...
causing it to relax and the bladder to empty. The external urethral sphincter is one of the muscles of the pelvic floor, and it provides support to the urethra and bladder neck. It's lucky we have these pelvic floor muscles because placing pressure on the system by coughing, sneezing, laughing,
Video examples
Why is pneumonia so...
called cilia that carry the mucus toward the mouth, where it can be coughed out. But some of these invaders may get past the mucociliary escalator into the lungs, where they meet the alveoli. Because alveoli serve as critical exchange points between the blood and air from the outside world,
Video examples
Why is meningitis so...
when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It can also be transmitted through kissing, or sharing cigarettes, toothbrushes or utensils. Some people can be infected and carry the disease without showing symptoms or getting sick, which helps the disease spread quickly to others.
Video examples
Laurie Garrett: What can...
We don't know how important hand washing is for flu -- shocking. One assumes it's a good idea to wash your hands a lot. But actually in scientific community there is great debate about what percentage of flu transmission between people is from sneezing and coughing
Video examples
3 ways to build a happy...
So in a modern society, we know that prevention is better than cure. We vaccinate against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles. We have awareness campaigns for melanoma, stroke, diabetes -- all important campaigns.
Video examples
Ending energy poverty...
match to light your kerosene lantern you are burning jet fuel and you're struggling to see from the dim light of that lantern as you cough from the toxic fumes besides contributing to the millions of deaths each year caused by
Video examples
How we must respond to...
all the way to the back of your throat, which hurts a lot, but also, you're going to cough and potentially spread the disease to that health care worker. So they have to have protective equipment and change that.
Video examples
Cameras Reveal the...
playing tag and for ma T a refresher on table manners the camera catches another rare and unexpected moment when frostbite appears to be coughing and we are able to see her mother come in to comfort her
Video examples
Baby Elephant Has Broken...
any further infection infection in a fractured bone could be fatal the antibiotics should save her life so the young cough like this should heal very fast miro is coming round but she's totally confused
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Wilma Rudolph
American Athlete
After the scarlet fever and the whooping cough, I remember I started to get mad about it all... I went through the stage of asking myself, 'Wilma, what is this existence all about? Is it about being sick all the time? It can't be.' So I started getting angry about things, fighting back in a new way with a vengeance.
Quote examples
Alice Miller
Swiss Psychologist
A child too, can never grasp the fact that the same mother who cooks so well, is so concerned about his cough, and helps so kindly with his homework, in some circumstance has no more feeling than a wall of his hidden inner world.
Quote examples
Caitlyn Jenner
American Athlete
It's important for people to recognize that they shouldn't ignore symptoms like shortness of breath or a cough that won't go away, because these may be signs of COPD.
Quote examples
Greg Boyle
American Clergyman
We can't get at crime unless we know what language it speaks. Otherwise, we are just suppressing the cough, not curing the disease.
Quote examples
Artur Schnabel
Polish Musician
I know two kinds of audiences only - one coughing, and one not coughing.
Quote examples
Benjamin Franklin
American Politician
The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.
Quote examples
Ralph Richardson
British Actor
The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.
Quote examples
Lee Konitz
American Musician
I wish that person outside would stop coughing.
Quote examples
Ethel Barrymore
American Actress
I never let them cough. They wouldn't dare.
Quote examples
George Herbert
British Poet
Love and a cough cannot be hid.
Quote examples
Wilma Rudolph
American Athlete
After the scarlet fever and the whooping cough, I remember I started to get mad about it all... I went through the stage of asking myself, 'Wilma, what is this existence all about? Is it about being sick all the time? It can't be.' So I started getting angry about things, fighting back in a new way with a vengeance.
Quote examples
Alice Miller
Swiss Psychologist
A child too, can never grasp the fact that the same mother who cooks so well, is so concerned about his cough, and helps so kindly with his homework, in some circumstance has no more feeling than a wall of his hidden inner world.
Quote examples
Caitlyn Jenner
American Athlete
It's important for people to recognize that they shouldn't ignore symptoms like shortness of breath or a cough that won't go away, because these may be signs of COPD.
Quote examples
Greg Boyle
American Clergyman
We can't get at crime unless we know what language it speaks. Otherwise, we are just suppressing the cough, not curing the disease.
Quote examples
Artur Schnabel
Polish Musician
I know two kinds of audiences only - one coughing, and one not coughing.
Quote examples
Benjamin Franklin
American Politician
The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.
Quote examples
Ralph Richardson
British Actor
The art of acting consists in keeping people from coughing.
Quote examples
Lee Konitz
American Musician
I wish that person outside would stop coughing.
Quote examples
Ethel Barrymore
American Actress
I never let them cough. They wouldn't dare.
Quote examples
George Herbert
British Poet
Love and a cough cannot be hid.
Example 1 of 10
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