croup

1
[ kroop ]
See synonyms for croup on Thesaurus.com
nounPathology.
  1. any condition of the larynx or trachea characterized by a hoarse cough and difficult breathing.

Origin of croup

1
First recorded in 1755–65; noun use of croup “to cry hoarsely” (now dialectal), blend of croak and whoop

Words Nearby croup

Other definitions for croup (2 of 2)

croup2
[ kroop ]

noun
  1. the highest part of the rump of a quadruped, especially a horse.

Origin of croup

2
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English croupe, from Middle French, Anglo-French crupe, Old French crope, from Germanic; see crop

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use croup in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for croup (1 of 2)

croup1

/ (kruːp) /


noun
  1. a throat condition, occurring usually in children, characterized by a hoarse cough and laboured breathing, resulting from inflammation and partial obstruction of the larynx

Origin of croup

1
C16 croup to cry hoarsely, probably of imitative origin

Derived forms of croup

  • croupous or croupy, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for croup (2 of 2)

croup2

croupe

/ (kruːp) /


noun
  1. the hindquarters of a quadruped, esp a horse

Origin of croup

2
C13: from Old French croupe; related to German Kruppe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for croup

croup

[ krōōp ]


  1. An acute infection that affects the upper and lower respiratory tracts, especially the larynx, trachea, and bronchi, and is caused most commonly by viruses of the genus Paramyxovirus. It is characterized by labored breathing and obstruction below the glottis, accompanied by a barking cough.

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