smother

[ smuhth -er ]

/ ˈsmʌð ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR smother ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to stifle or suffocate, as by smoke or other means of preventing free breathing.

to extinguish or deaden (fire, coals, etc.) by covering so as to exclude air.

to cover closely or thickly; envelop: to smother a steak with mushrooms.

to suppress or repress: to smother feelings.

Cookery. to steam (food) slowly in a heavy, tightly closed vessel with a minimum of liquid: smothered chicken and onions.

verb (used without object)

to become stifled or suffocated; be prevented from breathing.

to be stifled; be suppressed or concealed.

noun

dense, stifling smoke.

a smoking or smoldering state, as of burning matter.

dust, fog, spray, etc., in a dense or enveloping cloud.

an overspreading profusion of anything: a smother of papers.

Origin of smother

1125–75; (noun) Middle English smorther dense smoke; akin to Old English smorian to suffocate; (v.) Middle English smo(r)theren, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM smother

smoth·er·a·ble, adjective half-smoth·ered, adjective un·smoth·er·a·ble, adjective un·smoth·ered, adjective

un·smoth·er·ing, adjective

Words nearby smother

smoothing iron, smoothy, smorgasbord, smorzando, smote, smother, smothered mate, smothery, smoulder, smout, smp

Example sentences from the Web for smother

You just have to find that yin of decency and locate the gestures and words that smother the yang of fear.

Why the Border Bigots Are Beating Obama |Michael Tomasky |July 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Even this night was used by them to grab at something to fool men—to smother God in their hearts.

Women's Wild Oats |C. Gasquoine Hartley
These shade and smother more grass and thus advance the forest another limb's length.

The Rocky Mountain Wonderland |Enos A. Mills
With a smother of foam, the metal canister toppled from its cradle into the milk-white wake of the swiftly-moving M.-L.

The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge |Percy F. Westerman

He did his best to smother her refusal by advancing to the professor with congratulatory hand extended.

Dominie Dean |Ellis Parker Butler
The tendency is to smother all that is unique, rare, delicate, secret.

The Behavior of Crowds |Everett Dean Martin

British Dictionary definitions for smother

smother

/ (ˈsmʌðə) /

verb

to suffocate or stifle by cutting off or being cut off from the air

(tr) to surround (with) or envelop (in) he smothered her with love

(tr) to extinguish (a fire) by covering so as to cut it off from the air

to be or cause to be suppressed or stifled smother a giggle

(tr) to cook or serve (food) thickly covered with sauce, etc

noun

anything, such as a cloud of smoke, that stifles

a profusion or turmoil

archaic a state of smouldering or a smouldering fire

Derived forms of smother

smothery, adjective

Word Origin for smother

Old English smorian to suffocate; related to Middle Low German smōren

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

smother

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of smother

OTHER WORDS FROM smother

Words nearby smother

Example sentences from the Web for smother

British Dictionary definitions for smother

verb

noun

Derived forms of smother

Word Origin for smother

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

smother

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of smother

OTHER WORDS FROM smother

Words nearby smother

Words related to smother

Example sentences from the Web for smother

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for smother

verb

noun

Derived forms of smother

Word Origin for smother

British Dictionary definitions for smother