COUGH UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cough up mean? 

• COUGH UP (verb)
  The verb COUGH UP has 2 senses:

1. give reluctantly

2. discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth

  Familiarity information: COUGH UP used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COUGH UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give reluctantly

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

cough up; pony up; spit up

Context example:

He coughed up some money for his children's tuition

Hypernyms (to "cough up" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

cough out; cough up; expectorate; spit out; spit up

Hypernyms (to "cough up" is one way to...):

discharge; eject; exhaust; expel; release (eliminate (a substance))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cough up"):

cough (exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion)

ptyalise; ptyalize; spew; spit; spue (expel or eject (saliva or phlegm or sputum) from the mouth)

spit out; splutter; sputter (spit up in an explosive manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s