hiccup

Inflections of 'hiccup' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

hic•cup or hic•cough n., v., hic•cuped or hic•cupped or hic•coughed -cup•ing or -cup•ping or -cough•ing.
n. [countable]

Pathologya sharp gulping sound in the throat caused by the rapid intake of air following a spasm of the muscle that causes breathing.
PathologyUsually, hiccups. [plural] an attack of hiccups:I have the hiccups.

v. [no object]

hic•cup n., v., -cuped or -cupped, -cup•ing or -cup•ping.
n.

Pathologya quick, involuntary inhalation that follows a spasm of the diaphragm and is suddenly checked by closure of the glottis, producing a short, relatively sharp sound.
PathologyUsually, hiccups. the condition of having such spasms:She got the hiccups just as she began to speak.
[Informal.]a minor difficulty, interruption, setback, etc.:a hiccup in the stock market.

v.i.

to make the sound of a hiccup:The motor hiccuped as it started.
Pathologyto have the hiccups.
[Informal.]to experience a temporary decline, setback, interruption, etc.:There was general alarm when the economy hiccuped.

Also, hic-cough

1570–80; alteration of hocket, hickock, equivalent. to hic + -ock; akin to Low German hick hiccup; see hocket

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hiccup, hiccough /ˈhɪkʌp/ n

a spasm of the diaphragm producing a sudden breathing in followed by a closing of the glottis, resulting in a sharp sound
the state or condition of having such spasms
informal a minor difficulty or problem

vb ( -cups, -cuping, -cuped, -cups, -cupping, -cupped, -coughs, -coughing, -coughed)

Etymology: 16th Century: of imitative origin

'hiccup' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

Collocations: have the hiccups, did you (just) hiccup?, gave me the hiccups, more...

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