croup 1 (krōōp) n. A pathological condition of the larynx, especially in infants and children, that is characterized by respiratory difficulty and a hoarse, brassy cough.
[From dialectal croup, to croak.] croup'ous (krōō'pəs), croup'y adj.
croup 2 (krōōp) n. The rump of a beast of burden, especially a horse.
[Middle English croupe, from Old French, of Germanic origin.]
"couching illness," 1765, from obsolete verb croup "to cry hoarsely, croak," probably echoic. This was the local name of the disease in southeastern Scotland, given wide currency by Prof. Francis Home of Edinburgh in his 1765 article on it.
Main Entry: croup Pronunciation: 'krüp Function: noun : a spasmodic laryngitis especially of infants marked by episodes of difficult breathing, stridor,and a hoarse grating cough —croup·ous/'krü-p&s/adjective —croupy/-pE/adjectivecroup·i·er;-est