noun / verb
hack
A rough, dry cough.
The dusty air makes him hack as he sweeps.
Etymology
The coughing sense uses the abrupt, repeated action associated with hack, to chop. It evokes a harsh cough made in short, rough bursts.
More examples
- A dry hack interrupts her sentence.
- He hacked all night and barely slept.
- She is hacking so hard that she cannot speak.
Forms
hack · hacks · hacked · hacking
Similar words
- cough
- A general term, without specifying a rough, dry sound.