Hiccough
/ˈhɪk.ʌf/noun
A sudden involuntary spasm of the diaphragm that produces a characteristic sound.
Did you know?Despite its spooky spelling, hiccough is not related to cough at all—it’s just an old English respelling of hiccup, created by analogy with words ending in -ough.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
hicket/hiccough
“A hiccup; a sudden involuntary gasp or catching of the breath”
17th Century
English
hiccough
“A variant spelling of hiccup, shaped by the familiar-looking English ending -ough”
18th–19th Century
English
hiccup
“The standard spelling for the same involuntary spasmodic sound”
Modern English
English
hiccough
“A less common spelling of hiccup, still pronounced as if it ended in -cup”