croup

IPA/kruːp/
KK[krˈup]IPA/kruːp/

croup — noun

1. A viral infection in the upper airways of babies and young children that causes

1.nounB2
Definition

A viral infection in the upper airways of babies and young children that causes a harsh cough similar to a barking seal, a hoarse voice, and a whistling sound when breathing in.

Example

The paediatrician told Rohan's mother that his barking cough was a clear sign of croup.

collocation: barking cough + croup

Children with croup often have more trouble breathing at night, which worries many parents.

pattern: have + croup + difficulty breathing

Common collocations
  • barking cough
  • have croup
  • develop croup
  • diagnose with croup
  • croup symptoms
  • croup treatment
  • croup humidifier
  • croup attack
  • mild croup
  • severe croup
Synonyms
  • laryngotracheobronchitis

    the full medical term for croup; used mainly by doctors, not in everyday speech

  • viral croup

    specifies the more common viral form, as opposed to spasmodic croup

Grammar Patterns

croup (noun) as subject or object

have / develop / treat croup

Usage Note

Frequently used with the verbs 'have', 'develop', or 'diagnose with'. Croup is most common in children between six months and three years old. The barking cough is the most recognisable symptom that distinguishes it from other respiratory illnesses.

Common Mistakes

My son has croup and cannot stop sneezing.
My son has croup and keeps coughing with a harsh, barking sound.
Croup causes a barking cough, not sneezing.
She caught croup from her classmate at school.
She developed croup after a mild cold.
Croup is typically caused by a viral infection that develops gradually, not passed directly from person to person like a cold.

2. The rounded rear part of a four-legged animal's back, between the top of the hin

2.nounC1
Definition

The rounded rear part of a four-legged animal's back, between the top of the hind legs and the base of the tail; often used when describing a horse's body shape.

Example

The judge praised the horse's broad, powerful croup as a sign of good breeding.

collocation: broad / powerful croup

A groom gently brushed the mare's croup while she stood calmly in the stable.

Common collocations
  • broad croup
  • sloping croup
  • powerful croup
  • croup angle
  • croup muscles
  • croup height
  • steep croup
  • flat croup
  • measure the croup
Synonyms
  • rump

    the most common synonym; used for both animals and, informally, humans

  • hindquarters

    covers a broader area including the thighs and upper legs

  • crupper

    the part of a horse's harness that loops under the tail and over the croup

Antonyms
  • withers

    the highest point of a horse's back, between the shoulder blades — opposite end of the back

Grammar Patterns

the croup + of + animal

possessive + croup

Usage Note

This sense belongs to specialised animal anatomy and is rarely used in everyday conversation. Most common in horse breeding, veterinary exams, and livestock evaluation. For a human, the equivalent area is called the 'buttocks' or 'lower back'.

Common Mistakes

The rider sat gently on the horse's croup.
The rider sat gently in the saddle, behind the horse's withers.
The croup is the area above the hind legs, well behind where a rider sits.

Word family

  • croupy
    adjectiveC1
  • croupous
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Croup, whooping cough, and laryngitis all affect the respiratory system and involve coughing, but they differ in cause, sound, and age group. Croup is a viral infection common in children under five, producing a distinctive barking cough and a hoarse voice, often worse at night. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterial infection that causes severe, uncontrollable coughing fits followed by a 'whooping' sound as the person gasps for air; it affects all ages and is preventable by vaccination. Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box that can occur at any age; it causes a hoarse or lost voice and a dry cough, but does not produce the seal-like barking cough typical of croup. A child with croup needs monitoring for breathing difficulty, while whooping cough requires antibiotic treatment, and most laryngitis resolves with voice rest.

croup ↗whooping coughlaryngitis

Common collocations

Nouns

  • croup cough
  • croup symptoms
  • croup attack
  • croup treatment
  • croup case
  • croup humidifier

Phrases

  • case of croup
  • attack of croup
  • symptoms of croup
  • sign of croup
  • diagnosis of croup

Prepositions

  • with croup
  • of croup
  • for croup
  • in croup

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The two senses of 'croup' come from different origins. The illness sense (early 1800s) comes from the Scottish and Northern English verb 'croup' meaning 'to cry hoarsely', which imitates the sound of a barking cough. The animal-anatomy sense (1200s) comes from Old French 'croupe' meaning 'the rump of a horse', which traces back through Germanic roots to a common Indo-European idea of a rounded mass or lump.