croup

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈkrüp How to pronounce croup (audio)
: the rump of a quadruped

croup

2 of 2

noun (2)

: inflammation, edema, and subsequent obstruction of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi especially of infants and young children that is typically caused by a parainfluenza virus and is marked by episodes of difficult breathing and low-pitched cough resembling the bark of a seal
croupy
ˈkrü-pē How to pronounce croup (audio)
adjective

Examples of croup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Yellow and orange foods, like carrots, tomatoes, winter squash and sweet potatoes — along with allium, citrus and berry croups — landed in the bottom half. — Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English croupe, croup, borrowed from Anglo-French croupe (also continental Old French), probably going back to an Old Low Franconian outcome of Germanic *kruppa- "something rounded, bulge" — more at crop entry 1

Note: This etymology is traditional, and phonetically impeccable, though "hindquarters of an animal" is not among the many meanings attested in Germanic for this etymon. Compare group entry 1. See also croupier, crupper.

Noun (2)

noun derivative of croup "to cry hoarsely, croak" (now English regional and Scots), probably of imitative origin

Note: Compare synonymous 16th-century crope, croape, and crow entry 2, croak entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of croup was in the 14th century

Rhymes for croup

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Browse Nearby Words

croup
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Cite this Entry

“Croup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/croup. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

croup

1 of 2 noun
ˈkrüp How to pronounce croup (audio)
: the rump of a four-footed animal

croup

2 of 2 noun
: a laryngitis especially of infants marked by periods of difficult breathing and a hoarse cough
croupy
ˈkrü-pē How to pronounce croup (audio)
adjective
Etymology

Noun

Middle English croupe "rump," from early French croupe (same meaning), of Germanic origin

Noun

from an English dialect word croup "to cry or cough"; probably originally imitating the sound

Medical Definition

croup

noun
ˈkrüp How to pronounce croup (audio)
: inflammation, edema, and subsequent obstruction of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi especially of infants and young children that is typically caused by a parainfluenza virus and is marked by episodes of difficult breathing and low-pitched cough resembling the bark of a seal
croupous
ˈkrü-pəs How to pronounce croup (audio)
adjective
croupy
-pē How to pronounce croup (audio)
adjective
croupier; croupiest

More from Merriam-Webster on croup

Nglish: Translation of croup for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about croup

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