What does hough mean?
Hough is a rare noun used chiefly in Scottish and northern English speech for the heel or the back of the knee. The expression “the back of the hough” refers to the hollow behind a person's knee, although hough can also stand for the heel more generally. In older English, the word additionally denoted the hock, or back joint, of an animal, a sense still encountered in regional and historical writing. It is not normally used in contemporary formal English, but it is useful to recognize because it survives in established Scottish idiom and appears in older literature. The term should not be confused with hock, which can have a closely related animal sense but is also a verb meaning to curdle. Overall, hough belongs to the vocabulary of regional speech, archaic prose, and descriptions of anatomy.
nounThe heel or the back of the knee, especially in a person. In older English, it also referred to the hock, or back joint, of an animal.
- The heel or back of the knee, especially in a person.
- The hock, or back joint, of an animal.
"He felt the cold air against the backs of his houghs as he crossed the moor."
"The old dog was lame in one hough and moved cautiously down the lane."
"She rubbed the stiff hough behind her knee after the long walk."
The plural is used when referring to the houghs of more than one person or animal.
"The houghs of the horses were caked with mud."
Hough is a compact piece of Scots vocabulary for the back of the knee—and, in older English, for an animal's hock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hough come from?
Hough descends from Old English hōh, an ancestral word for the heel or the back of the knee. The modern form developed through Middle English usage, with the present pronunciation and spelling appearing over time. Its historical senses reflect a close association with the lower part of the leg, including the corresponding joint in animals.
How hough is actually used
The word is uncommon in standard modern English outside Scottish and northern English usage. Older English senses, especially the animal hock, may sound archaic or dialectal.
Easily confused with hough
Hough is principally a Scottish and northern English word for the heel or back of the knee, while hock can name an animal's back joint or function as a verb meaning to become curdled.