croup¹

[kroop]

See more synonyms for croup on Thesaurus.com

noun Pathology.

any condition of the larynx or trachea characterized by a hoarse cough and difficult breathing.

Origin of croup¹

1755–65; noun use of croup to cry hoarsely (now dial.), blend of croak and whoop

croup²

[kroop]

noun

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

Origin of croup²

1250–1300; Middle English croupe < Middle French, Anglo-French crupe, Old French crope < Germanic; see crop

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for croup

Historical Examples

But his croup sloped down too much, and he had a short neck.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Should he not, his croup may be so turned, outward, that he cannot do his rider any mischief.
The Young Lady's Equestrian Manual
Anonymous
When I got on the Northern Belle, a fine boat, one of my children was taken with croup.
Old Rail Fence Corners
Various
How does the height at the withers compare with the height at the croup?
Agriculture for Beginners
Charles William Burkett
She begged for the pine syrup, for her little Anthony was choking with croup.
Some Three Hundred Years Ago
Edith Gilman Brewster

British Dictionary definitions for croup

croup¹

noun

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

Derived Formscroupous or croupy, adjective

Word Origin

C16 croup to cry hoarsely, probably of imitative origin

croup²

croupe

noun

the hindquarters of a quadruped, esp a horse

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for croup

n.

"coughing illness," 1765, from obsolete verb croup "to cry hoarsely, croak" (1510s), probably echoic. This was the local name of the disease in southeastern Scotland, given wide currency by Dr. Francis Home (1719-1813) of Edinburgh in his 1765 article on it. Related: Croupy.

croup in Medicine