different between ough vs hough

English

Interjection

ough

1. The sound of a grunt or groan or cough.

Further reading

• Ough (orthography) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Hugo

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