| English Dictionary |
HICCUP (hiccupped, hiccupping)
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
, hiccupping Dictionary entry overview: What does hiccup mean?
• HICCUP (noun)
The noun HICCUP has 1 sense:
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
Familiarity information: HICCUP used as a noun is very rare.
• HICCUP (verb)
The verb HICCUP has 1 sense:
1. breathe spasmodically, and make a sound
Familiarity information: HICCUP used as a verb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
(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
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
Context example:
how do you cure the hiccups?
Hypernyms ("hiccup" is a kind of...):
inborn reflex; innate reflex; instinctive reflex; physiological reaction; reflex; reflex action; reflex response; unconditioned reflex (an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus)
symptom ((medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease)
Domain usage:
plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)
Derivation:
hiccup (breathe spasmodically, and make a sound)
| Conjugation: |
... he / she / it hiccups Past simple: hiccuped
/ hiccupped Past participle: hiccuped
/ hiccupped -ing form: hiccuping
/ hiccupping Sense 1
Meaning:
Breathe spasmodically, and make a sound
Classified under:
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care
Synonyms:
hiccough; hiccup
Context example:
When you have to hiccup, drink a glass of cold water
Hypernyms (to "hiccup" is one way to...):
breathe; respire; suspire; take a breath (draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s
Derivation:
hiccup ((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)
Context examples
If you ran into delays or certain hiccups, those delays likely benefitted you.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
A hiccup is an unintentional movement of the diaphragm, the muscle at the base of the lungs.
(Hiccups, NIH)
A question about whether an individual has or had hiccups.
(Have Hiccups, NCI Thesaurus)
Newborn baby hiccups trigger a large wave of brain signals, which could help the baby learn how to regulate their breathing, according to a new study.
(Baby Hiccups Key to Brain Development, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
Hiccups may also start and stop for no obvious reason.
(Hiccups, NIH)
Brain activity was recorded with EEG (electroencephalography) electrodes placed on the scalp, while movement sensors on the infants' torsos provided a linked record of when they were hiccupping.
(Baby Hiccups Key to Brain Development, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
There is no sure way to stop hiccups.
(Hiccups, NIH)
The present study involved 13 newborn infants in a neonatal ward who had a bout of hiccups.
(Baby Hiccups Key to Brain Development, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
Hiccups aren't usually serious.
(Hiccups, NIH)
Pre-term infants are particularly prone to hiccups, as they spend an estimated 1% of their time hiccupping—roughly 15 minutes a day.
(Baby Hiccups Key to Brain Development, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"If a forest catches fire, both the dry and the wet will burn." (Afghanistan proverb)
"The carpenter's door is loose." (Arabic proverb)
"Many hands make light work." (Dutch proverb)