strangle

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: stran=gle

CIDE DICTIONARY

strangle, v. t. [OF. estrangler, F. étrangler, L. strangulare, Gr. , , fr. a halter; and perhaps akin to E. string, n. Cf. Strain, String.].

•  To compress the windpipe of (a person or animal) until death results from stoppage of respiration; to choke to death by compressing the throat, as with the hand or a rope.  [1913 Webster]

  "Our Saxon ancestors compelled the adulteress to strangle herself."  [1913 Webster]
•  To stifle, choke, or suffocate in any manner.  [1913 Webster]

  "Shall I not then be stifled in the vault, . . .
  And there die strangled ere my Romeo comes?"  [1913 Webster]
•  To hinder from appearance; to stifle; to suppress.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

strangle, v. i. 

 To be strangled, or suffocated.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

strangle, v.tr.
1 squeeze the windpipe or neck of, esp. so as to kill.
2 hamper or suppress (a movement, impulse, cry, etc.).

Derivative

strangler n.

Etymology

ME f. OF estrangler f. L strangulare f. Gk straggalao f. straggale halter: cf. straggos twisted

THESAURUS

strangle

OD, abbreviate, asphyxiate, bang, bar, barricade, batten, batten down, be killed, behead, block, block up, blockade, bolt, bottle up, bowstring, burke, burn, button, button up, censor, chock, choke, choke off, circumscribe, clamp down on, clap, close, close off, close tight, close up, coarct, compact, compress, concentrate, condense, consolidate, constrict, constringe, contain, contract, cork, cork up, cover, crack down on, cramp, crowd, crucify, crush, curtail, damp down, debar, decapitate, decollate, decrease, defenestrate, deflate, disarm, dog, draw, draw in, draw together, drown, electrocute, enchain, execute, extinguish, famish, fasten, fold, fold up, gag, garrote, guillotine, hamstring, handcuff, hobble, hog-tie, hold down, inflict capital punishment, jam, jump on, keep down, keep under, key, kill, knit, knock out, lapidate, latch, lock, lock out, lock up, manacle, muffle, muzzle, narrow, obstruct, occlude, pack, padlock, paralyze, plumb, pour water on, prostrate, pucker, pucker up, purse, put down, put out, put to death, quash, quell, quench, reduce, repress, seal, seal off, seal up, secure, shoot, shorten, shush, shut, shut down on, shut off, shut out, shut the door, shut tight, shut up, silence, sit down on, sit on, slam, smash, smother, snap, snuff out, solidify, squash, squeeze, squeeze shut, squelch, stamp out, stanch, starve, stifle, stone, stop the breath, stop up, strangulate, stultify, subdue, suffocate, suppress, throttle, trample out, trample underfoot, truss up, wrinkle, zip up, zipper

ROGET THESAURUS

strangle

Impotence

VB be impotent, not have a leg to stand on, vouloir rompre l'anguille au genou, vouloir prendre la lune avec les dents, collapse, faint, swoon, fall into a swoon, drop, go by the board, go by the wayside, go up in smoke, end in smoke, render powerless, deprive of power, disable, disenable, disarm, incapacitate, disqualify, unfit, invalidate, deaden, cramp, tie the hands, double up, prostrate, paralyze, muzzle, cripple, becripple, maim, lame, hamstring, draw the teeth of, throttle, strangle, garrotte, garrote, ratten, silence, sprain, clip the wings of, put hors de combat, spike the guns, take the wind out of one's sails, scotch the snake, put a spoke in one's wheel, break the neck, break the back, unhinge, unfit, put out of gear, unman, unnerve, enervate, emasculate, castrate, geld, alter, neuter, sterilize, fix, shatter, exhaust, weaken.

Contraction

VB become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.

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.