throat clear
Attention-getting sound
A throat clear is the sound made by clearing one's throat—a brief, deliberate cough or grunt.
Figuratively, it describes any preliminary gesture before getting to the main point: an opening paragraph that's just throat-clearing, a meeting that begins with administrative throat-clearing before the real discussion.
The first two pages were throat-clearing; the argument started on page three.
- ahemAttention-getting interjection
- raspCoarse shaping tool
- hackShortcut or breach
- hemFolded garment edge
- phlegmViscous airway secretion
mucus · nervous · nervous habit · awkward · interruption · attention · signal · gulp · swallow · hoarse · scratchy · tickle · dry · dry mouth · water · lozenge · speaker · public speaking
throat clearsneeze
Explosive nasal reflex
hiccup · snore · silence · steady breathing · cough
throat clearshout
Loud vocal outburst
silence · saying nothing · blurting out · staying quiet · whisper
throat, clear, throats, throaty, throatily, clears, cleared, clearing, clearance