STIFLE

stifle, knee

(noun) joint between the femur and tibia in a quadruped; corresponds to the human knee

suffocate, stifle, asphyxiate

(verb) be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen; “The child suffocated under the pillow”

stifle, dampen

(verb) suppress or constrain so as to lessen in intensity; “Stifle your curiosity”

suffocate, stifle, asphyxiate, choke

(verb) impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of; “The foul air was slowly suffocating the children”

smother, stifle, strangle, muffle, repress

(verb) suppress in order to conceal or hide; “smother a yawn”; “muffle one’s anger”; “strangle a laugh”; “repress a cry of fear”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

stifle (plural stifles)

A hind knee of various mammals, especially horses.

(veterinary medicine) A bone disease of this region.

Verb

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.

(transitive) To smother or suffocate.

• Book 12

(intransitive) To feel smothered etc.

(intransitive) To die of suffocation.

(transitive) To treat a silkworm cocoon with steam as part of the process of silk production.

Synonyms

• (to die of suffocation): See also die

• (To repress or hold back): hinder, restrain, suppress, throttle

Anagrams

• filets, fistle, fliest, flites, itself

Source: Wiktionary

Sti"fle, n. Etym: [From Stiff.] (Far.)

Definition: The joint next above the hock, and near the flank, in the hind leg of the horse and allied animals; the joint corresponding to the knee in man; -- called also stifle joint. See Illust. under Horse. Stifle bone, a small bone at the stifle joint; the patella, or kneepan.

Sti"fle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stifled; p. pr. & vb. n. Stifling.] Etym: [Freq. of OE. stif stiff; cf. Icel. stifla to dam up.]

1. To stop the breath of by crowding something into the windpipe, or introducing an irrespirable substance into the lungs; to choke; to suffocate; to cause the death of by such means; as, to stifle one with smoke or dust. Stifled with kisses, a sweet death he dies. Dryden. I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room. Swift.

2. To stop; to extinguish; to deaden; to quench; as, to stifle the breath; to stifle a fire or flame. Bodies . . . stifle in themselves the rays which they do not reflect or transmit. Sir I. Newton.

3. To suppress the manifestation or report of; to smother; to conceal from public knowledge; as, to stifle a story; to stifle passion. I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled. Waterland.

Sti"fle, v. i.

Definition: To die by reason of obstruction of the breath, or because some noxious substance prevents respiration. You shall stifle in your own report. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition