suffocate: Meaning and Definition of

suf•fo•cate

Pronunciation: (suf'u-kāt"), [key]
— v., -cat•ed, -cat•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to kill by preventing the access of air to the blood through the lungs or analogous organs, as gills; strangle.
  2. to impede the respiration of.
  3. to discomfort by a lack of fresh or cool air.
  4. to overcome or extinguish; suppress.
—v.i.
  1. to become suffocated; stifle; smother.
  2. to be uncomfortable due to a lack of fresh or cool air.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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