different between bough vs hough

English

Alternative forms

• bow, bowe (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English bough, bowe, bogh, bo?e, bo?, from Old English b?h, b?g (“arm; shoulder; bough”), from Proto-Germanic *b?guz (“upper arm; shoulder”) (compare German Bug (“shoulder, hock, joint”)), from Proto-Indo-European *b?eh???ús (“forearm, elbow”) (compare Ancient Greek ????? (pêkhus, “forearm”), Old Armenian ?????? (bazuk, “arm, forearm, bough”), Persian ????? (b?zu, “upper arm”), Sanskrit ???? (b?hú, “arm”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba?/
• Homophone: bow
• Rhymes: -a?

Noun

bough (plural boughs)

1. A firm branch of a tree.
   • 2013, J. M. Coetzee, The Childhood of Jesus. Melbourne, Australia: The Text Publishing Company, chapter 18. p. 172:

     A pair of birds settle on the bough above them, murmuring together, ready to roost.

2. (obsolete, poetic) The gallows.

Derived terms

• cut not the bough that you are standing upon

Translations

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “bough”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English hogh, hou?, hoch, howghe, from Old English h?h (“heel, hough”), from Proto-Germanic *hanhaz (“heel”). Doublet of hoo.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /h?k/
• Rhymes: -?k
• Homophone: hock

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. The hollow behind the knee.

Verb

hough (third-person singular simple present houghs, present participle houghing, simple past and past participle houghed)

1. To hamstring.

Synonyms

• hamstring, hock, hox

Hypernyms

• See Thesaurus:disable

Derived terms

• hougher

Etymology 2

See hoe (“agricultural tool”).

Pronunciation

As hoe.

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Obsolete spelling of hoe

Verb

hough (third-person singular simple present houghs, present participle houghing, simple past and past participle houghed)

1. Archaic spelling of hoe.
   • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, K:LV

     Better the toiling Swain, oh happier far!

     Perhaps the happie?t of the Sons of Men!

     Who vigorous plies the Plough, the Team, or Car;

     Who houghs the Field, or ditches in the Glen,

     Delves in his Garden, or ?ecures his Pen.

Etymology 3

From Middle English ho, howe, hogh, from Old English h?h (“a promontory”).

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Alternative form of hoe