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Medicine vocabulary · Symptoms and Signs

Cough

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/kɔːf/nounCore term

In medicine, cough means: A sudden, noisy push of air out of the lungs that clears the airways; it can be dry or bring up phlegm.

In Turkish: öksürük

How it is used

Doctors ask how long the cough has lasted, whether it is dry or productive, and whether there is any blood (haemoptysis). In adults a cough lasting more than about eight weeks is usually called chronic. 'Cough' is also a verb: 'cough up blood'.

Example sentences

  1. I've had this cough for a month, and now I'm bringing up green phlegm.

  2. A dry cough is a known side effect of some blood pressure tablets.

Common collocations

  • dry cough
  • productive cough
  • persistent cough
  • cough up blood
  • chronic cough
  • shortness of breathA feeling that you cannot get enough air or have to work hard to breathe; the medical word is dyspnea (UK: dyspnoea).
  • wheezeA high-pitched whistling sound made when air moves through narrowed airways, usually heard when breathing out.
  • pneumoniaAn infection of the lungs in which the small air sacs fill with fluid or pus, causing cough, fever and difficulty breathing.
  • asthmaA long-term lung condition in which the airways become narrow and inflamed, causing wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath that can come and go.
  • feverA body temperature higher than normal, usually above about 38 °C, often a sign that the body is fighting an infection.

More terms: Symptoms and Signs

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.