different between suffocation vs suffocate

English

Etymology

From Middle French suffocation, from Latin suffocatio.

Noun

suffocation (countable and uncountable, plural suffocations)

1. (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.

2. (countable) A particular act of death or killing by means of asphyxia.

   The coroner reported three suffocations last week.

Synonyms

• asphyxia

Related terms

• suffocate

Translations

Further reading

• suffocation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• suffocation in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• suffocation at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “suffocation”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• auctions off, offuscation

French

Etymology

From Latin suffocatio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sy.f?.ka.sj??/

Noun

suffocation f (plural suffocations)

1. suffocation

Further reading

• “suffocation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Latin suffocatus, past participle of suffocare (“to choke, stifle”), from sub (“under”) + faux (“the upper part of the throat, the pharynx”).

Pronunciation

• (verb) IPA^(key): /?s?f?ke?t/
• (adjective) IPA^(key): /?s?f?k?t/

Verb

suffocate (third-person singular simple present suffocates, present participle suffocating, simple past and past participle suffocated)

1. (ergative) To suffer, or cause someone to suffer, from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body.
2. (ergative) To die due to, or kill someone by means of, insufficient oxygen supply to the body.

3. (ergative, figuratively) To overwhelm, or be overwhelmed (by a person or issue), as though with oxygen deprivation.
4. (transitive) To destroy; to extinguish.

Synonyms

• (To suffer from reduced oxygen): asphyxiate, choke
• (To die from insufficient oxygen): stifle, choke
• (To be overwhelmed): drown
• (To reduce oxygen supply): asphyxiate, choke, smother
• (To kill by deprivation of oxygen): asphyxiate, choke, stifle
• (To make weary with contact): smother

Derived terms

• suffocation

Related terms

• asphyxia

Translations

Adjective

suffocate (comparative more suffocate, superlative most suffocate)

1. (obsolete) Suffocated; choked.

Further reading

• suffocate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• suffocate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• suffocate at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• offuscate

Latin

Verb

suff?c?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of suff?c?