hiccup

Meaning

Noun

1. A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound.
2. A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound.
3. (broadly) Any spasm or sudden change.
4. (informal) A minor obstacle or setback.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To produce a hiccup; have the hiccups.
2. (transitive) To say with a hiccup.
3. (intransitive) To produce an abortive sound like a hiccup.

Synonyms

hiccough

singultus

burp

belch

howl

kink

retch

stand on tiptoe

hickup

catch

hiccups

hitch

Translations

hoquet

hipo

hoqueter

Schluckauf

singhiozzo

hik

hikken

soluço

😭

soluçar

singhiozzare

😭

avoir le hoquet

Schluckauf haben

singlot

hicksen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɪkʌp/

Etymology

Cognate with Scots: hick

Cognate with Western Frisian: hik

Cognate with Dutch: hik

Cognate with Middle Low German: hükup

Cognate with Low German: hick

Cognate with German: hicksen

Cognate with Swiss German: Hidsgi

Cognate with Danish: hikke

Cognate with Swedish: hicka

Cognate with Icelandic: hiksti

In summary

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