Word: stifle Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The verb is derived from Late Middle English stuflen (“to have difficulty breathing due to heat, stifle; to suffocate by drowning, drown”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain. Also found in Middle English forstyflyd (“stifled, choked”, past participle). Perhaps derived from Middle English stuffen (“to kill by suffocation; to stifle from heat; to extinguish, suppress (body heat, breath, humour, etc.); to deprive a plant of the conditions necessary for growth, choke”) + -len (frequentative suffix). Stuffen is derived from Old French estofer, estouffer (“to choke, strangle, suffocate; (figuratively) to inhibit, prevent”) [and other forms] (modern French étouffer), a variant of estoper, estuper (“to block, plug, stop up; to stiffen, thicken”) (modern French étouper (“to caulk”)), influenced by estofer (“to pad, stuff; to upholster”) (modern French étoffer). Estoper is derived from Vulgar Latin *stuppāre, from Latin stuppa (“coarse flax, tow”) (as a stuffing material; from Ancient Greek στύπη (stúpē), στύππη (stúppē) (compare στυππεῖον (stuppeîon)); probably from Pre-Greek) + -āre. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a derivation from Old Norse stífla (“to dam; to choke, stop up”) “appears untenable on the ground both of form and sense”. The noun is derived from the verb. Pronunciation: /ˈstaɪfl̩/, /ˈstaɪf(ə)l/ 1. To make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate. Labels: also, figuratively, transitive Example: I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room. Example: And while her Hand the ſtreaming Blood oppos'd; / Join'd Face to Face, his Lips with hers ſhe clos'd. / Stifled with Kiſſes, a ſweet Death he dies; / She fills the Fields with undiſtinguiſh'd Cries: [...] 2. To cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling. Labels: excessive, transitive Example: The heat was stifling the children. 3. To prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat. Labels: also, figuratively, transitive 4. To make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium. Labels: transitive 5. To keep in, hold back, or repress (something). Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: The army stifled the rebellion. Example: I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled. 6. To prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: Atticus tried to stifle a smile but didn’t make it. 7. To treat (a silkworm cocoon) with steam as part of the process of silk production. Labels: transitive 8. To die of suffocation. Labels: intransitive Example: Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday’s fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom. 9. To smother; to make breathing difficult. Labels: excessive, intransitive Example: This heat is stifling. Example: Nobody has shaved or changed clothes for a week, the heat stifles and the flies are everywhere. There is little water but we do not expect to be here long. This is not much of a letter, Jess. The mailbag goes down our trench once a day. I must finish because it stops for no one.