smother

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: smoth=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

smother, v. t. [OE. smotheren; akin to E. smoor. See Smoor.].

•  To destroy the life of by suffocation; to deprive of the air necessary for life; to cover up closely so as to prevent breathing; to suffocate; as, to smother a child.  [1913 Webster]
•  To affect as by suffocation; to stife; to deprive of air by a thick covering, as of ashes, of smoke, or the like; as, to smother a fire.  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to repress the action of; to cover from public view; to suppress; to conceal; as, to smother one's displeasure.  [1913 Webster]

smother, v. i. 

•  To be suffocated or stifled.  [1913 Webster]
•  To burn slowly, without sufficient air; to smolder.  [1913 Webster]

smother, n. [OE. smorther. See Smother, v. t.].

•  Stifling smoke; thick dust.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  A state of suppression.  [1913 Webster]

  "Not to keep their suspicions in smother."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which smothers or causes a sensation of smothering, as smoke, fog, the foam of the sea, a confused multitude of things.

  "Then they vanished, swallowed up in the grayness of the evening and the smoke and smother of the storm."  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Smother fly (Zoöl.), an aphid.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

smother, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. suffocate; stifle; kill by stopping the breath of or excluding air from.
2 tr. (foll. by with) overwhelm with (kisses, gifts, kindness, etc.) (smothered with affection).
3 tr. (foll. by in, with) cover entirely in or with (chicken smothered in mayonnaise).
4 tr. extinguish or deaden (a fire or flame) by covering it or heaping it with ashes etc.
5 intr. a die of suffocation. b have difficulty breathing.
6 tr. (often foll. by up) suppress or conceal; keep from notice or publicity.
7 tr. US defeat rapidly or utterly.
--n.
1 a cloud of dust or smoke.
2 obscurity caused by this.

Idiom

smothered mate Chess checkmate in which the king, having no vacant square to move to, is checkmated by a knight.

Etymology

ME smorther f. the stem of OE smorian suffocate

THESAURUS

smother

OD, abate, allay, alleviate, asphyxiate, assuage, attemper, bake, bank the fire, be in heat, be killed, beat, black out, blanket, blaze, bloom, blow out, blunt, boil, bottle up, box, broil, burke, burn, case, censor, chasten, check, choke, choke off, clamp down on, clobber, collect, combust, conceal, constrain, control, cook, cool, cork, cork up, cover, cover up, crack down on, crate, crush, damp, damp down, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, diminish, douse, downplay, drown, drub, dull, embox, embrace, encapsulate, encase, enfold, enshroud, envelop, enwrap, extenuate, extinguish, famish, flame, flame up, flare, flare up, flicker, flush, fry, gag, garrote, gasp, glow, hide, hold back, hold down, hugger-mugger, hush, hush up, hush-hush, incandesce, inhibit, inundate, invest, jump on, keep back, keep down, keep under, keep within bounds, kill, lambaste, lap, lay, lenify, lessen, lick, lighten, mask, mitigate, moderate, modulate, muffle, muzzle, obtund, out, overcome, overwhelm, pack, package, palliate, pant, parch, play down, pour water on, put down, put out, quash, quell, quench, radiate heat, reduce, reduce the temperature, rein, repress, restrain, roast, scald, scorch, seethe, sheathe, shellac, shimmer with heat, shower, shroud, shush, shut down on, silence, simmer, simmer down, sit down on, sit on, slack, slacken, slow down, smash, smear, smolder, snuff, snuff out, sober, sober down, soften, spark, squash, squelch, stamp out, stanch, starve, steam, stew, stifle, stop the breath, strangle, stultify, subdue, sublimate, suffocate, suppress, surround, sweat, swelter, tame, temper, thrash, throttle, toast, tone down, trample out, trample underfoot, trim, tune down, underplay, weaken, wrap, wrap about, wrap up

ROGET THESAURUS

smother

Aphony

VB keep silence, speak low, speak softly, whisper, silence, render mute, render silent, muzzle, muffle, suppress, smother, gag, strike dumb, dumfounder, drown the voice, put to silence, stop one's mouth, cut one short, stick in the throat.

Restraint

VB restrain, check, put under restraint, lay under restraint, enthral, enthrall, inthral, inthrall, bethral, bethrall, restrict, debar, constrain, coerce, curb, control, hold back, hold from, hold in, hold in check, hold within bounds, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep within bounds, hold in leash, hold in leading strings, withhold, keep under, repress, suppress, smother, pull in, rein in, hold, hold fast, keep a tight hand on, prohibit, inhibit, cohibit, enchain, fasten, fetter, shackle, entrammel, bridle, muzzle, hopple, gag, pinion, manacle, handcuff, tie one's hands, hobble, bind hand and foot, swathe, swaddle, pin down, tether, picket, tie down, tie up, secure, forge fetters, disable, hamstring (incapacitate), confine, shut up, shut in, clap up, lock up, box up, mew up, bottle up, cork up, seal up, button up, hem in, bolt in, wall in, rail in, impound, pen, coop, inclose, cage, incage, encage, close the door upon, cloister, imprison, immure, incarcerate, entomb, clap under hatches, lay under hatches, put in irons, put in a strait-waistcoat, throw into prison, cast into prison, put into bilboes, arrest, take up, take charge of, take into custody, take prisoner, take captive, make prisoner, make captive, captivate, lead captive, lead into captivity, send to prison, commit to prison, commit, give in charge, give in custody, subjugate.

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.

Insulation

VB go out, die out, burn out, fizzle, extinguish, damp, slack, quench, smother, put out, stamp out, douse, snuff, snuff out, blow out, fireproof, flameproof.

Concealment

VB conceal, hide, secrete, put out of sight, lock up, seal up, bottle up, encrypt, encode, cipher, cover, screen, cloak, veil, shroud, cover up one's tracks, screen from sight, screen from observation, drawing the veil, draw the curtain, close the curtain, curtain, shade, eclipse, throw a view over, be cloud, be mask, mask, disguise, ensconce, muffle, smother, befog, whisper, keep from, keep back, keep to oneself, keep snug, keep close, keep secret, keep dark, bury, sink, suppress, keep from, keep from out of view, keep from out of sight, keep in the shade, throw into the shade, throw into background, stifle, hush up, smother, withhold, reserve, fence with a question, ignore, keep a secret, keep one's own counsel, hold one's tongue, make no sign, not let it go further, not breathe a word, not breathe a syllable about, not let the right hand know what the left is doing, hide one's light under a bushel, bury one's talent in a napkin, keep in the dark, leave in the dark, keep in the ignorance, blind, blind the eyes, blindfold, hoodwink, mystify, puzzle, bamboozle, be concealed, suffer an eclipse, retire from sight, couch, hide oneself, lie hid, lie in perdu, lie in close, lie in ambush (ambush), seclude oneself, lurk, sneak, skulk, slink, prowl, steal into, steal out of, steal by, steal along, play at bopeep, play at hide and seek, hide in holes and corners, still hunt, conceal, hide, secrete, put out of sight, lock up, seal up, bottle up, encrypt, encode, cipher, cover, screen, cloak, veil, shroud, cover up one's tracks, screen from sight, screen from observation, drawing the veil, draw the curtain, close the curtain, curtain, shade, eclipse, throw a view over, be cloud, be mask, mask, disguise, ensconce, muffle, smother, befog, whisper, keep from, keep back, keep to oneself, keep snug, keep close, keep secret, keep dark, bury, sink, suppress, keep from, keep from out of view, keep from out of sight, keep in the shade, throw into the shade, throw into background, stifle, hush up, smother, withhold, reserve, fence with a question, ignore, keep a secret, keep one's own counsel, hold one's tongue, make no sign, not let it go further, not breathe a word, not breathe a syllable about, not let the right hand know what the left is doing, hide one's light under a bushel, bury one's talent in a napkin, keep in the dark, leave in the dark, keep in the ignorance, blind, blind the eyes, blindfold, hoodwink, mystify, puzzle, bamboozle, be concealed, suffer an eclipse, retire from sight, couch, hide oneself, lie hid, lie in perdu, lie in close, lie in ambush (ambush), seclude oneself, lurk, sneak, skulk, slink, prowl, steal into, steal out of, steal by, steal along, play at bopeep, play at hide and seek, hide in holes and corners, still hunt.