From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhiccuphic‧cup1, hiccough /ˈhɪkʌp, -kəp/ noun [countable] 1 [usually plural]HBHBREATHE a sudden repeated stopping of the breath, usually caused by eating or drinking too fastget/have hiccups British English, get/have the hiccups American English Don’t drink so fast – you’ll get hiccups.2 PROBLEMa small problem or delayhiccup in a hiccup in the negotiations
Examples from the Corpus
hiccup• But he also assumes that the economy will keep chugging along with barely a hiccup of a recession.• Our job today is just a hiccup in time.• A hiccup, possibly, but no decent restaurant should produce one of that size.• Nausea, vomiting and hiccup with aversion to warm food and desire for cold food.• The sales drive was interrupted by a legal hiccup.• The airline industry's troubles are a mere hiccup in an otherwise upward growth trend.• There were a few minor hiccups in the space shuttle launch.• That was the only hiccup in Llanelli's 10-try victory, although they were not the highest scorers of the day.• There was a slight hiccup when I couldn't find my car keys, but finally we set off.• The event started with a slight hiccup when it was discovered that the batteries were in the wrong way round.• My training is going very well apart from the slight hiccup with the railway line.get/have the hiccups• I got the hiccups, excuse me.hiccuphiccup2 verb (hiccupped, hiccupping) [intransitive] HBHBREATHEto have hiccups→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hiccup• Two days before admission he noted abdominal distension and began to hiccup.• Under the black vinyl the waters burbled and hiccuped.• Would-be lovers belch or hiccup at decisive moments.• Suffolk people hiccup half their words away.• Rufus went on laughing, hiccuping with laughter.Origin hiccup1 (1500-1600) From the sound 