English
stifle
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ˈstaɪfəl/
Noun

stifle (plural stifles)

  1. A hind knee of various mammals, especially horses.
  2. (veterinary medicine) A bone disease of this region.
Translations Verb

stifle (stifles, present participle stifling; past and past participle stifled)

  1. (transitive) To interrupt or cut off.
  2. (transitive) To repress, keep in or hold back.
    • I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled.
    The army stifled the rebellion.
  3. (transitive) To smother or suffocate.
    • Stifled with kisses, a sweet death he dies.
    • 1708, Jonathan Swift, Accomplishment of the First Prediction
      I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room.
    The heat was stifling the children.
  4. (intransitive) To feel smothered etc.
    The heat felt stifling.
  5. (intransitive) To die of suffocation.
    Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday's fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom.
  6. (transitive) To treat a silkworm cocoon with steam as part of the process of silk production.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations

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