noun
hiccup
HIH-kuhp
noun
1
An involuntary spasm of the diaphragm that produces a short, sharp sound.
"He got the hiccups after drinking his soda too fast."
2
A small, temporary problem or setback.
"There was a minor hiccup in the schedule, but the event still went smoothly."
"The launch went well apart from a small technical hiccup."
verb
1
To make the sound of a hiccup.
"She hiccupped through the entire meeting, much to her embarrassment."
How to Use Hiccup
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the sudden throat-and-chest spasm everyone gets sometimes, or a small snag in an otherwise smooth process.
Common pairings
get the hiccups
a technical hiccup
a minor hiccup
Word Forms
hiccuped past tense, hiccupped past tense, hiccups plural, hiccups singular
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Etymology
From an earlier form "hicket," built from the imitative sound "hic" plus a diminutive ending — the word literally imitates the sound it describes.