stifle
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Alternative forms [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Middle English stiflen, from Old Norse stífla (“to dam, choke, stop up”), from stífla (“dam”), from Proto-Germanic *stīfilaz, *stīfilan (“prop, pole, support”), from Proto-Indo-European *steip-, *steib- (“stake, picket”). Cognate with Icelandic stífla (“to dam up, jam, block”), Norwegian stivla (“to dam up, choke, stop”), Low German stipel (“support wood”), Eastern Frisian stīpe (“stake, support”).
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
stifle (plural stifles)
- A hind knee of various mammals, especially horses.
- (veterinary medicine) A bone disease of this region.
Translations [edit]
bone disease of this region
Verb [edit]
stifle (third-person singular simple present stifles, present participle stifling, simple past and past participle stifled)
- (transitive) To interrupt or cut off.
- (transitive) To repress, keep in or hold back.
- The army stifled the rebellion.
- 2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn”, BBC Sport:
- In fact, there was no suggestion of that, although Wolves deployed men behind the ball to stifle the league leaders in a first-half that proved very frustrating for City.
- (transitive) To smother or suffocate.
- The heat was stifling the children.
- (intransitive) To feel smothered etc.
- The heat felt stifling.
- (intransitive) To die of suffocation.
- Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday's fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom.
- (transitive) To treat a silkworm cocoon with steam as part of the process of silk production.
Synonyms [edit]
- (to die of suffocation): See also Wikisaurus:die
- (To repress or hold back): hinder, restrain, suppress, throttle
Translations [edit]
to interrupt or cut off
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to repress, keep in or hold back
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to smother or suffocate
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to feel smothered
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to die of suffocation
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