suffocate

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: suf=fo=cate

CIDE DICTIONARY

suffocate, a. [L. suffocatus, p. p. of suffocare to choke; sub under + fauces the throat. Cf. Faucal.].

 Suffocated; choked.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

suffocate, v. t. 

•  To choke or kill by stopping respiration; to stifle; to smother.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let not hemp his windpipe suffocate."  [1913 Webster]
•  To destroy; to extinguish; as, to suffocate fire.  [1913 Webster]

suffocate, v. i. 

 To become choked, stifled, or smothered.  collier.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

suffocate, v.
1 tr. choke or kill by stopping breathing, esp. by pressure, fumes, etc.
2 tr. (often foll. by by, with) produce a choking or breathless sensation in, esp. by excitement, terror, etc.
3 intr. be or feel suffocated or breathless.

Derivative

suffocating adj. suffocatingly adv. suffocation n.

Etymology

L suffocare (as SUB-, fauces throat)

THESAURUS

suffocate

OD, asphyxiate, bake, bar, barricade, be in heat, be killed, blaze, block, block up, blockade, bloom, boil, bolt, bottle up, broil, burke, burn, censor, chock, choke, choke off, clamp down on, close, close off, close tight, close up, combust, constrict, cook, cork, cork up, crack down on, crowd, crush, damp down, debar, dog, drown, extinguish, famish, flame, flame up, flare, flare up, flicker, flush, fry, gag, garrote, gasp, glow, hold down, incandesce, jam, jump on, keep down, keep under, kill, lock, muzzle, obstruct, occlude, pack, pant, parch, pour water on, put down, put out, quash, quell, quench, radiate heat, repress, roast, scald, scorch, seethe, shimmer with heat, shut down on, shut off, shut out, shut tight, silence, simmer, sit down on, sit on, smash, smolder, smother, smothering, smudgy, snuff out, spark, squash, squeeze, squeeze shut, squelch, stamp out, stanch, starve, steam, stew, stifle, stop the breath, stop up, strangle, strangulate, stultify, subdue, suffocating, suppress, sweat, swelter, throttle, toast, trample out, trample underfoot, voice

ROGET THESAURUS

suffocate

Redundancy

VB superabound, overabound, know no bounds, swarm, meet one at every turn, creep with, crawl with, bristle with, overflow, run over, flow over, well over, brim over, run riot, overrun, overstock, overlay, overcharge, overdose, overfeed, overburden, overload, overdo, overwhelm, overshoot the mark, surcharge, supersaturate, gorge, glut, load, drench, whelm, inundate, deluge, flood, drug, drug the market, hepatize, choke, cloy, accloy, suffocate, pile up, lay on thick, impregnate with, lavish, send coals to Newcastle, carry coals to Newcastle, carry owls to Athens, teach one's grandmother to suck eggs, pisces natare docere, kill the slain, gild refined gold, gild the lily, butter one's bread on both sides, put butter upon bacon, employ a steam engine to crack a nut, exaggerate, wallow in roll in, remain on one's hands, hang heavy on hand, go a begging.

Killing

VB kill, put to death, slay, shed blood, murder, assassinate, butcher, slaughter, victimize, immolate, massacre, take away life, deprive of life, make away with, put an end to, despatch, dispatch, burke, settle, do for, strangle, garrote, hang, throttle, choke, stifle, suffocate, stop the breath, smother, asphyxiate, drown, saber, cut down, cut to pieces, cut the throat, jugulate, stab, run through the body, bayonet, eviscerate, put to the sword, put to the edge of the sword, shoot dead, blow one's brains out, brain, knock on the head, stone, lapidate, give a deathblow, deal a deathblow, give a quietus, give a coupe de grace, behead, bowstring, electrocute, gas, hunt, shoot, cut off, nip in the bud, launch into eternity, send to one's last account, sign one's death warrant, strike the death knell of, give no quarter, pour out blood like water, decimate, run amuck, wade knee deep in blood, imbrue one's hands in blood, die a violent death, welter in one's blood, dash out one's brains, blow out one's brains, commit suicide, kill oneself, make away with oneself, put an end to oneself, put an end to it all.