COUGHING

cough, coughing

(noun) a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Verb

coughing

present participle of cough

Noun

coughing (plural coughings)

A cough; the act of coughing.

Source: Wiktionary

COUGH

Cough (kf), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Coughed (kft); p. pr. & vb. n. Coughing.] Etym: [Cf. D. kuchen, MHG. k to breathe, G. keuchen to pant, and E. chincough, the first part of which is prob. akin to cough; cf. also E. choke.]

Definition: To expel air, or obstructing or irritating matter, from the lungs or air passages, in a noisy and violent manner.

Cough, v. t.

1. To expel from the lungs or air passages by coughing; -- followed by up; as, to cough up phlegm.

2. To bring to a specified state by coughing; as, he coughed himself hoarse. To cough down, to silence or put down (an objectionable speaker) by simulated coughing.

Cough, n. Etym: [Cg. D. kuch. See Cough, v. i. ]

1. A sudden, noisy, and violent expulsion of air from the chest, caused by irritation in the air passages, or by the reflex action of nervous or gastric disorder, etc.

2. The more or less frequent repetition of coughing, constituting a symptom of disease. Stomach cough, Ear cough, cough due to irritation in the stomach or ear.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition