# hiccup

Pronunciation: say "HIK-up" /ˈhɪkʌp/

## Noun

1. A bout of repeated diaphragm spasms; the state of having hiccups for a stretch of time.
   - Simple: An attack of hiccups that keeps coming back for a while.
   - _A stubborn hiccup kept her awake for most of the night._
   - _His hiccups persisted for three days before the doctor found a cause._
2. A sudden involuntary spasm of the diaphragm, or the short sharp sound it produces.
   - Simple: A sudden 'hic' sound made when the muscle below your lungs jumps.
   - _He stifled a hiccup behind his hand during the meeting._
   - _Every few seconds another hiccup broke the quiet of the library._
4. A minor obstacle or temporary setback that briefly interrupts progress. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A small problem that slows things down for a short time.
   - _The merger went smoothly except for a minor hiccup over pricing._
   - _A few hiccups in the supply chain delayed shipping by a week._
5. A sudden spasm or abrupt change in an otherwise steady process.
   - Simple: A sudden small jump or change in something.
   - _A momentary hiccup in the power supply reset all the office clocks._
   - _Traders noted a brief hiccup in prices before the market steadied._

## Verb

3. To experience hiccups; to make the involuntary sound caused by a spasm of the diaphragm.
   - Simple: To make a sudden 'hic' sound that you cannot control.
   - _He hiccuped loudly in the middle of the wedding ceremony._
   - _Children often hiccup after eating too fast._
6. To produce a short, faltering sound resembling a hiccup.
   - Simple: To make a short, broken sound that stops and starts like a hiccup.
   - _The engine hiccuped a couple of times before roaring to life._
   - _Old speakers sometimes hiccup when the signal drops._
7. To utter something while hiccupping.
   - Simple: To say words while making hiccup sounds at the same time.
   - _She hiccuped a few embarrassed words of apology._
   - _Between giggles, they hiccup half-finished sentences._

## Origin

It comes from earlier 'hickop', an alteration of 'hicket' or 'hyckock', made from 'hic' (an imitation of the sound) plus the diminutive suffix '-ock'. It is related to similar words in Scots, Dutch, German, Danish, Swedish, and Icelandic, and it replaced the older English word 'yex'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/hiccup (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).