1. Exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion
   "The smoker coughs all day"

1. A sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection, bronchitis, pneumonia or tuberculosis
   "His persistent cough prompted him to see a doctor";
   - coughing
    
2. A condition that causes coughing; a tendency to cough
   "His persistent cough worried his doctor"

Derived forms: coughs, coughing, coughed

See also: cough up [informal], expectorate

Type of: cough out, cough up, expectorate, spit out, spit up, symptom

Part of: respiratory disease, respiratory disorder, respiratory illness

Encyclopedia: Cough