sough

¹

[ sou, suhf ]

verb (used without object)

1. to make a rushing, rustling, or murmuring sound:

   the wind soughing in the meadow.

2. Scot. and North England. to speak, especially to preach, in a whining, singsong voice.

noun

1. a sighing, rustling, or murmuring sound.
2. Scot. and North England.
   1. a sigh or deep breath.
   2. a whining, singsong manner of speaking.
   3. a rumor; unconfirmed report.

sough

²

[ suhf, sou ]

noun

1. a drain, drainage ditch, gutter, or sewer.
2. a swampy or marshy area; slough.

verb (used with object)

1. to drain (land or a mine) by building drainage ditches or the like.

sough

¹

/ sʌf /

noun

1. dialect.
   a sewer or drain or an outlet channel

sough

²

/ saʊ /

verb

1. intr (esp of the wind) to make a characteristic sighing sound

noun

1. a soft continuous murmuring sound

Other Words From

• soughful·ly adverb
• soughless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sough¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English verb swoughen “to throw,” Old English swōgan “to move with sound, make a noise”; cognate with Old Saxon swōgan, Old English swēgan “to move noisily,” Gothic -swōgjan; the noun is derivative of the verb

Origin of sough²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sough, sou(e); further origin obscure; compare Dutch dialect zoeg “little ditch”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sough¹

of obscure origin

Origin of sough²

Old English swōgan to resound; related to Gothic gaswogjan to groan, Lithuanian svageti to sound, Latin vāgīre to lament

Example Sentences

A coil of smoke drifted across the room from somewhere above—the sough of the burning made the only background to his words.

From Project Gutenberg

The rain had stopped, and a sudden sough of the wind in the bushes sounded as if some animal had strayed there.

From Project Gutenberg

Save the dull piping of insects and the sough of the leaves, there was silence everywhere—the sweet restful silence of nature.

From Project Gutenberg

With abatement of breath I listened, but heard nothing except the mournful sough of the pines.

From Project Gutenberg

An owl was hooting somewhere among the rocks, but no other sound, save the gentle sough of the wind, came to my ears.

From Project Gutenberg