sough

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 *(s)weh₂gʰ-, same source as Latin vāgiō. Cognate with Scots souch (“sough”), Icelandic súgur (“a rushing sound, rustle”).

• IPA^(key): /saʊ/, /sʌf/

• Audio

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• Rhymes: -aʊ, -ʌf

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.

• See also Thesaurus:sough

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.

• death-sough

• susurrus

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

sough (plural soughs)

1. A small drain; an adit.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of W. M. Buchanan to this entry?)

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

1. To drain.

• soughing-tile

• Hugos