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Ough vs Hough - What's the difference?

ough | hough |

As an interjection ough

is the sound of a grunt or groan or cough.

As a noun hough is

the hollow behind the knee or hough can be .

As a verb hough is

to hamstring or hough can be .

ough

English

Interjection

(en interjection)
  • The sound of a grunt or groan or cough
  • *{{quote-book, year=1856, author=John Esten Cooke, title=The Last of the Foresters, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage="Ough! ough'! ' ough !" groaned the old woman; "he wants to go, away from the nest where he was warmed, and nursed, and brought up. }}
  • *{{quote-book, year=1874, author=H. S. Caswell, title=The Path of Duty, and Other Stories, chapter=, edition= citation
    • , passage=We strove to extort from him the cause of this ebullition of passion, but he only shook his head in reply to our questions, and uttered a guttural "ough ." }}

    External links

    *

    hough

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) h?h.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • the hollow behind the knee
  • :* 1922': In the bright light, lightened and cooled in limb, he eyed carefully his black trousers, the ends, the knees, the '''houghs of the knees. — James Joyce, ''Ulysses

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To hamstring

    • Derived terms

    * hougher

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) howe, from (etyl) houe, from Old Low Franconian *houwa'' (compare Middle Dutch houwe), from *''houwan 'to hew'. More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
    • (Bishop Stillingfleet)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • * 1748 , , K:LV
  • *:"Better the toiling Swain, oh happier far!
    • Perhaps the happie?t of the Sons of Men!
    Who vigorous plies the Plough, the Team, or Car;
    Who houghs the Field, or ditches in the Glen,
    Delves in his Garden, or ?ecures his Pen."