Adjacent Words

hiccup definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (usually plural) the state of having reflex spasms of the diaphragm accompanied by a rapid closure of the glottis producing an audible sound; sometimes a symptom of indigestion; "how do you cure the hiccups?" [syn: hiccup, hiccough, singultus] v
1: breathe spasmodically, and make a sound; "When you have to hiccup, drink a glass of cold water" [syn: hiccup, hiccough]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun also hiccough Etymology: imitative Date: circa 1580 1. a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis accompanied by a peculiar sound 2. an attack of hiccuping — usually used in plural but sing. or plural in constr. 3. a. a slight irregularity, error, or malfunction <a few hiccups in the computer system> b. a usually minor and short-lived interruption or disruption, or change <a hiccup in the stock market> II. intransitive verb also hiccough (hiccuped; also hiccupped; hiccuping; also hiccupping) Date: circa 1580 to make a hiccup; also to be affected with hiccups

Britannica Concise

Spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm that causes a sudden breath in, cut off when the vocal cords snap together, creating the characteristic sound. Causes include overdistended stomach, gastric irritation, and nerve spasms. The many folk remedies for hiccups interrupt the rhythm of the spasms. The most common and effective treatment is to hold the breath as long as possible. Hiccups usually stop within minutes, though they may last days, weeks, or longer. Prolonged severe hiccups are treated with nerve blocks or by surgically cutting the nerve that supplies the diaphragm.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. (also hiccough) --n. 1 a an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm and respiratory organs, with sudden closure of the glottis and characteristic coughlike sound. b (in pl.) an attack of such spasms. 2 a temporary or minor stoppage or difficulty. --v. 1 intr. make a hiccup or series of hiccups. 2 tr. utter with a hiccup. Derivatives: hiccupy adj. Etymology: imit.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

also hiccough(hiccups, hiccuping, or hiccupping, hiccuped, or hiccupped) 1. You can refer to a small problem or difficulty as a hiccup, especially if it does not last very long or is easily put right. A recent sales hiccup is nothing to panic about... N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft n N, N in n 2. When you have hiccups, you make repeated sharp sounds in your throat, often because you have been eating or drinking too quickly. A young baby may frequently get a bout of hiccups during or soon after a feed. N-UNCOUNT: also the N 3. A hiccup is a sound of the kind that you make when you have hiccups. N-COUNT 4. When you hiccup, you make repeated sharp sounds in your throat. She was still hiccuping from the egg she had swallowed whole. VERB: V

Moby Thesaurus

Aqua-Lung, artificial respiration, aspiration, asthmatic wheeze, belch, blow, breath, breath of air, breathe, breathe hard, breathe in, breathe out, breathing, broken wind, burp, cough, eruct, eructate, eructation, exhalation, exhale, exhaust, expel, expiration, expire, exsufflation, gas, gasp, gulp, hack, huff, inhalation, inhalator, inhale, inspiration, inspire, insufflation, iron lung, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, oxygen mask, oxygen tent, pant, puff, respiration, respire, scuba, sigh, sneeze, sniff, sniffle, snore, snoring, snort, snuff, snuffle, sternutation, stertor, suspiration, wheeze, wind