English Dictionary

Definition of “stifle”

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^¹stifle¹ (ˈstaɪf^əll)

Definitions

verb

(tr) to smother or suppress ⇒ stifle a cough
to feel or cause to feel discomfort and difficulty in breathing
to prevent or be prevented from breathing so as to cause death
(tr) to crush or stamp out

Alternative Forms

ˈstifler noun

Word Origin

C14: variant of stuflen, probably from Old French estouffer to smother

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry

= suppress, repress, prevent, stop, check, silence, curb, restrain, cover up, gag, hush, smother, extinguish, muffle, choke back,

= restrain, suppress, repress, smother,

= suffocate, choke, strangle, smother, asphyxiate,

^²stifle² (ˈstaɪf^əll)

Definitions

noun

the joint in the hind leg of a horse, dog, etc, between the femur and tibia

Word Origin

C14: of unknown origin

Usage examples

She clasped both hands hard over her mouth to stifle a scream.
Kerr, Katharine, A Time of War (1993)
Catching a glimpse of a colleague yawning during an important meeting is enough to have most humans fighting to stifle a gape.
New Scientist (2004)
He suggested Mr. Asper has intentionally abused the court process to stifle Mr. Lantos from making any further comments about CanWest.
Globe and Mail (2003)
Montes stuffed a gag of cotton wool over her nose and mouth to stifle her screams.
Sun, News of the World (2004)
She gave me a stern look too as I tried to stifle my own guffaws.
Chris Gidney, CELEBRATING SECOMBE: A Tribute to Sir Harry Secombe (2002)

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