(v) deprive of oxygen and prevent from breathing, Syn. suffocate, asphyxiate, Example:Othello smothered Desdemona with a pillow; The child suffocated herself with a plastic bag that the parents had left on the floor
(n) the condition of being deprived of oxygen (as by having breathing stopped), Syn. asphyxiation, Example:asphyxiation is sometimes used as a form of torture
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)