noun / verb
hiccup
HIK-up/ˈhɪkʌp/
A sudden, involuntary breathing spasm that makes a short, sharp sound.
Each hiccup briefly interrupts the woman's attempt to sip water.
Etymology
The word was formed to imitate the sharp sound produced by the diaphragm’s convulsion. Its sound names the involuntary spasm itself.
In context
The breathing muscles contract first, then the glottis closes almost immediately. That tiny delay makes a hiccup sound like a sharp interruption instead of a normal breath.
More examples
- I sometimes hiccup when I eat too quickly.
- His hiccups stopped after a few minutes.
- The baby hiccupped twice after her feeding.
Forms
hiccup · hiccups · hiccupped · hiccupping