hiccup

• hiccough (old-fashioned, hypercorrection)
• hickup

From earlier hickop, alteration of earlier hicket, hyckock, from hic (onomatopoeic) + -ock (diminutive suffix).

Akin to Scots hick, hix (“hiccup”), West Frisian hik (“hiccup”), Dutch hik (“hiccup”), Middle Low German hükup, huckup, hueckup (modern Low German hick (“hiccup”)), German hicksen (“to hiccup”, verb), Alemannic German Hidsgi (“hiccup”), Danish hikke (“hiccup”), Swedish hicka (“hiccup”), hicka (“to hiccup”, verb), Icelandic hiksti (“hiccup”).

Displaced Middle English yexen, ȝisken, ȝixen, ȝoxen (“to hiccup”), from Old English ġiscian, ġeocsian (“to hiccup”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɪkʌp/, /ˈhɪkəp/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪkəp
• Homophone: hiccough
• Hyphenation: hic‧cup

hiccup (plural hiccups)

1. A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound.

   There was a loud hiccup from the back of the room and the class erupted in laughter.

   1. A case of the hiccups; the condition of having the spasms of hiccupping; singultus; diaphragmatic myoclonus.
2. (by extension) Any spasm or sudden change.
   • 2010, Oli Smith, Nuclear Time, page 197:

     Albert didn't notice the switch, the subliminal flash and hiccup in time as the man he had been talking to only seconds before was catapulted backwards half an hour.

4. (informal) A minor obstacle or setback.

   Synonym: hang-up

   There's been a slight hiccup in the processing of this quarter's results.

• (spasm of the diaphragm): myoclonus

• hiccups

hiccup (third-person singular simple present hiccups, present participle hiccuping or hiccupping, simple past and past participle hiccuped or hiccupped)

1. (intransitive) To produce a hiccup; have the hiccups.
2. (transitive) To say with a hiccup.

   "I haven't touched a drop, officer," the suspect hiccupped.

3. (intransitive) To produce an abortive sound like a hiccup.

   The car engine hiccupped but wouldn't start.