suffocate
[ suhf-uh-keyt ]
/ ˈsʌf əˌkeɪt /
verb (used with object), suf·fo·cat·ed, suf·fo·cat·ing.
to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
to impede the respiration of.
to discomfort by a lack of fresh or cool air.
to overcome or extinguish; suppress.
verb (used without object), suf·fo·cat·ed, suf·fo·cat·ing.
to become suffocated; stifle; smother.
to be uncomfortable due to a lack of fresh or cool air.
Origin of suffocate
OTHER WORDS FROM suffocate
Words nearby suffocate
sufficient,
sufficient condition,
sufficient reason,
suffix,
sufflate,
suffocate,
suffocative goiter,
suffolk,
suffolk punch,
suffr.,
suffragan
Example sentences from the Web for suffocate
British Dictionary definitions for suffocate
suffocate
/ (ˈsʌfəˌkeɪt) /
verb
to kill or be killed by the deprivation of oxygen, as by obstruction of the air passage or inhalation of noxious gases
to block the air passages or have the air passages blocked
to feel or cause to feel discomfort from heat and lack of air
Derived forms of suffocate
suffocating, adjective suffocatingly, adverb suffocation, noun suffocative, adjectiveWord Origin for suffocate
C16: from Latin
suffōcāre, from
sub- +
faucēs throat
Medical definitions for suffocate
suffocate
[ sŭf′ə-kāt′ ]
v.
To impair the respiration of; asphyxiate.
To suffer from lack of oxygen; to be unable to breathe.