suffocation
noun
Forms suffocations
- noun (uncountable) Asphyxia—a condition in which an extreme decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the body accompanied by an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide leads to loss of consciousness or death. “A child left unattended may die of suffocation.”
- noun (countable) A particular act of death or killing by means of asphyxia. “The coroner reported three suffocations last week.”
Synonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English suffocation, suffocacioun, from Middle French suffocation, from Latin suffocatio.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of suffocating, or the state of being suffocated; death caused by smothering or choking.
Etymology [L. suffocatio: cf. F. suffocation.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “suffocation”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details