sough

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English *sough, swough, swogh, from Middle English swoȝen, swowen, from Old English swōgan (“to make a sound; move with noise; rush; roar”), from Proto-Germanic *swōganą from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂gʰ-, same source as Latin vāgiō. Cognate with Scots souch (“sough”), Icelandic súgur (“a rushing sound, rustle”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /saʊ/, /sʌf/
  • Audio(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -aʊ, -ʌf

Verb

sough (third-person singular simple present soughs, present participle soughing, simple past and past participle soughed)

  1. To make a soft rustling or murmuring sound.
    • 1963, Sterling North, Rascal, Avon Books (softcover), p 101:
      I lay awake for a while that evening, listening to the soughing of the wind high in the pines, realizing sadly that we must now return to civilization.
Synonyms
  • See also Thesaurus:sough
Translations

Noun

sough (plural soughs)

  1. A murmuring sound; rushing, rustling, or whistling sound.
    • W. Howitt
      The whispering leaves or solemn sough of the forest.
    • 1829, John Carne, Stratton Hill: A Tale of the Civil Wars - Volume 1 - Page 131:
      [...] Arthur; a fearful night it was: there was a sough in the air, a sound drawing nigh like that of a host marching:- — but you're looking pale and forwrought, man; is any thing ailing ye?
    • 2015, N. K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season - chapter 16:
      Syenite hears the distant sough of waves rolling against rocks, somewhere below the slope on which they lie.
  1. A gentle breeze; a waft; a breath.
  2. A (deep) sigh.
  3. (Scotland, obsolete) A vague rumour.
  4. (Scotland, obsolete) A cant or whining mode of speaking, especially in preaching or praying.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Etymology 2

From Middle English (whence also Scots sheuch (“ditch”)); compare dialectal Dutch zoeg (“ditch”).

Noun

sough (plural soughs)

  1. A small drain; an adit.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of W. M. Buchanan to this entry?)

Anagrams

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