suffocation
NounUS[suhf-uh-key-shuhn]/ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃən/4 syllables
Synonyms:
asphyxiation
Open English WordNet
Noun (2)
- killing by depriving of oxygenSynonyms: asphyxiationType of killing, killKinds choking, strangling
- the condition of being deprived of oxygen (as by having breathing stopped)“asphyxiation is sometimes used as a form of torture”Synonyms: asphyxiationType of hypoxia
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expediteverb
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Suf′fo·ca′tion noun
Origin: L. suffocatio: cf. F. suffocation.
The act of suffocating, or the state of being suffocated; death caused by smothering or choking.
☞ The term suffocation is sometimes employed synonymously with asphyxia. In the strict medico-legal sense it signifies asphyxia induced by obstruction of the respiration otherwise than by direct pressure on the neck (hanging, strangulation) or submersion (drowning). Richard Quain
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54