spit out vs cough

spit out is not a noun while cough is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
spit out	No	No	Yes	No
cough	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, cough is a hyponym of spit out; that is, cough is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than spit out:

Other hyponyms of spit out include ptyalise, ptyalize, spew, spit, spue, spit out, splutter, sputter.

spit out (noun)	cough (noun)
	a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis

spit out (verb)	cough (verb)
spit up in an explosive manner	exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion
discharge (phlegm or sputum) from the lungs and out of the mouth
utter with anger or contempt