hough

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English hough, houȝ, hoch, howghe, from Old English hōh (“heel, hough”), from Proto-Germanic *hanhaz (“heel”). Doublet of hoo.

The regular modern English development would be /hʌf/, /haʊ/; this has been replaced by /hɒk/, originating in the compound huxen (also *hoxen), from Old English hōhsinu.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /hɒk/
• (US) IPA^(key): /hɑk/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /hʌf/
• Rhymes: -ɒk
• Homophone: hock

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Alternative form of hock (“the hollow behind the knee”)
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     In the bright light, lightened and cooled in limb, he eyed carefully his black trousers, the ends, the knees, the houghs of the knees.

2. Alternative form of hock (“tarsal joint of a digitigrade quadruped”)

Verb

hough (third-person singular simple present houghs, present participle houghing, simple past and past participle houghed)

1. Alternative form of hock (“to hamstring”)
   • 1866, Charles Kingsley, chapter 25, in Hereward the Wake, London: Nelson, page 337:

     Far and wide the farms were burnt over their owners’ heads, the growing crops upon the ground; the horses were houghed, the cattle driven off; while of human death and misery there was no end.

Synonyms

• hamstring, hock, hox

Hypernyms

• See Thesaurus:disable

Derived terms

• hougher

References

Etymology 2

See hoe (“agricultural tool”).

Pronunciation

As hoe.

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Obsolete spelling of hoe

Verb

hough (third-person singular simple present houghs, present participle houghing, simple past and past participle houghed)

1. Archaic spelling of hoe.
   • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, K:LV

     Better the toiling Swain, oh happier far!

     Perhaps the happieſt 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 ſecures his Pen.

Etymology 3

From Middle English ho, howe, hogh, from Old English hōh (“a promontory”).

Noun

hough (plural houghs)

1. Alternative form of hoe

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hōh (“heel”), from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄h, from Proto-Germanic *hanhaz. Compare hele (“heel”).

Alternative forms

• ho, hoche, hogh, hoȝ, hokke, hoo, houȝ, houe, howe, howghe, howh

Pronunciation

• (regular development) IPA^(key): /huːx/
• (from inflected forms) IPA^(key): /hoː/
• (generalised from Old English hōhsinu) IPA^(key): /hɔx/, /hɔk/

Noun

hough (plural houghes)

1. The heel (rear of a foot)

   Synonym: hele

2. The hough (bend of the knee)
3. The hock or its meat.

Related terms

• hokschyne

Descendants

• English: hough, hoff, hock
• Scots: hoch, houch
• ⇒ Yola: houghany

References

• “hough, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English hōh (“promontory”), related to hōn (“to hang”). Reinforced by unrelated Old Norse haugr (“hill, mound”).

Alternative forms

• ho, hogh, hoghe, how

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hoː/, /huːx/

Noun

hough

1. promontory, cliff

Descendants

• English: heugh; hoe, hogh, hough, how
• Scots: heuch

References

• “hough, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.