hough

[ hok; Scots hokh ]

/ hɒk; Scots hɒx /

Save This Word!

noun

Scot. hock¹ (defs. 1, 2).

verb (used with object)

Scot. to hamstring.

verb (used without object)

British Dialect Obsolete. to clear the throat; hack.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hough

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at hock¹

Other definitions for hough (2 of 2)

Hough

[ huhf ]

/ hʌf /

noun

Emerson, 1857–1923, U.S. novelist.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hough in a sentence

These were smugglers' horses, clipped to the skin, with houghed manes, and tails and bodies sleek with soft soap.
The Adventures of Harry Revel|Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
The Etonians, in order to secure the ram, houghed him in the Irish fashion, and then attacked him with great clubs.
The Parent's Assistant|Maria Edgeworth
MacLaren died, and about the same time his cattle were houghed, and his live stock destroyed in a barbarous manner.
Rob Roy, Volume 1., Illustrated|Sir Walter Scott
At one signal the horses were to be houghed with these instruments, and the infantry attacked with poniards.
Letters from Spain|Joseph Blanco White

Now during the lawsuit we usually houghed and mutilated each other's cattle, according as they trespassed the premises.
The Ned M'Keown Stories|William Carleton

British Dictionary definitions for hough

hough

/ (hɒk) British /

noun

another word for hock 1

(hɒx) in Scotland, a cut of meat corresponding to shin

verb (tr)

to hamstring (cattle, horses, etc)

Word Origin for hough

C14: from Old English hōh heel

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