cough up

cough something up 

1. to get something out of the body by coughing. She coughed some matter up and took some more medicine. She coughed up phlegm all night.

2. Euph. to vomit something. The dog coughed the rabbit up. The dog coughed up the food it had eaten.

3. Sl. to produce or present something, such as an amount of money. You will cough the money up, won't you? You had better cough up what you owe me, if you know what's good for you.

See also: cough, up

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cough up something also cough something up

1. to pay money unwillingly I had to cough up $35 for administration fees. Martinez's lawyers knew the banks had the money, and pushed them to cough it up. Related vocabulary: fork over something

2. to allow an opponent to take the lead in a competition Sele got a 3-0 lead in the second inning but then coughed it up in the third.

See also: cough, up