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.
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.
Meanings
(also, figuratively, transitive) To make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) to die by preventing breathing; to smother, to suffocate.
I took my leave, being half stifled with the closeness of the room. 1708, Jonathan Swift, Accomplishment of the First Prediction:
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: [...] 1717, John Dryden, “Book XII. [The Story of Cyllarus and Hylonome.]”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 425:
(excessive, transitive) To cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling.
The heat was stifling the children.
(also, figuratively, transitive) To prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat.
(transitive) To make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium.
(figuratively, transitive) To keep in, hold back, or repress (something).
Edward Churchill still attended to his work in a hopeless mechanical manner like a sleep-walker who walks safely on a well-known round. But his Roman collar galled him, his cossack stifled him, his biretta was as uncomfortable as a merry-andrew's cap and bells. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
The army stifled the rebellion.
In fact, there was no suggestion of that, although Wolves deployed men behind the ball to stifle the league leaders in a first-half that proved very frustrating for City. 2011 October 29, Neil Johnston, “Norwich 3-3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport:
I desire only to have things fairly represented as they really are; no evidence smothered or stifled. 1723, Daniel Waterland, A Second Vindication of Christ's Divinity:
(figuratively, transitive) To prevent (something) from being revealed; to conceal, to hide, to suppress.
Atticus tried to stifle a smile but didn’t make it. 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, chapter 15, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:
(qualifier:agriculture (sericulture), transitive) To treat (a silkworm cocoon) with steam as part of the process of silk production.
(intransitive) To die of suffocation.
Two firemen tragically stifled in yesterday’s fire when trying to rescue an old lady from her bedroom.
(excessive, intransitive) To smother; to make breathing difficult.
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. 2012, Ken Catran, Letters from the Coffin-Trenches, Penguin Random House New Zealand Limited, →ISBN:
gl asfixiarse (to die of suffocation) · mi whakakōmau (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · mi tātāmi (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · de unterdrücken (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · gl sufocar (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · ja 噛み殺す (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · pt sufocar (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it boccheggiare (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it affogare (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · bg потискам (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · pt reprimir (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · hu megfojt (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · es sofocar (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · pt sufocar (to die of suffocation) · cs potlačit (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · fi tukehtua (to die of suffocation) · ru задохну́ться (to die of suffocation) · oc sufocar (to die of suffocation) · ru подавля́ть (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · fr réprimer (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs udusit (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · es suprimir (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · bg задушавам се (to die of suffocation) · da kvæle (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · sv kvävas (to die of suffocation) · ja 抑圧する (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · sv stävja (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · gl reprimir (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · km រារាំង (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · ru задыха́ться (to feel smothered) · de unterdrücken (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · gl reprimir (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · sv dämpa (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · hu elfojt (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · km ថប់ (to feel smothered) · gl esganar (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it soffocare (to die of suffocation) · it soffocare (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · nl stikken (to die of suffocation) · ja 窒息する (to die of suffocation) · it boccheggiare (to feel smothered) · cs zadusit (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · mi whakapongere (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · de erdrücken (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it asfissiare (to die of suffocation) · bg потушавам (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · ja 窒息しそう (to feel smothered) · tr boğulmak (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · nn hemma (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · ja 消す. 静める (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · sk udusiť (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · bg задъхвам се (to feel smothered) · bg заглушавам (to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium) · ru задыха́ться (to die of suffocation) · mi nanati (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs potlačit (to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium) · oc sufocar (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · fi tukahduttaa (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · fi vaimentaa (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · sv undertrycka (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · tr tutmak (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · es sofocar (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · sv stävja (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it reprimere (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · mi nati (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · es asfixiarse (to die of suffocation) · es reprimir (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · ru души́ть (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · sv kväva (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · de ersticken (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · bg удушавам (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · gl sufocar (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · ga plúch (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · fi tukahtua (to feel smothered) · gl sufocar (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · ru подави́ть (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs potlačit (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · la suffōcō (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · gl esganar (to cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling) · ja もみ消す (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · de ersticken (to die of suffocation) · bg душа (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · mi tāmi (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · sk dusiť (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · tr bastırmak (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · mi tāmoe (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · ja 抑える (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs dusit (to cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling) · hu megfullad (to die of suffocation) · ru задохну́ться (to feel smothered) · nl versmoren (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · nn kua (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs přemoci (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · fr étouffer (to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium) · bg задушавам (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · bg задушавам (to cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling) · nl onderdrukken (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs zadusit (to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium) · ja 窒息させる (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · fi tukehduttaa (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · fr étouffer (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it soffocare (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · tr boğulmak (to die of suffocation) · ru задуши́ть (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · gl afogar (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · sv tillbakahålla (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs zahlušit (to make (something) unable to be heard by blocking it with some medium) · lt slopinti (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cs dusit (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · it trattenere (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · cmn 壓抑 /压抑 (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · fr étouffer (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · cs dusit (to prevent (a breath, cough, or cry, or the voice, etc.) from being released from the throat) · cs udusit se (to die of suffocation) · gl asfixiar (to cause (someone) difficulty in breathing, or a choking or gagging feeling) · ota بوغمق (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · km ថប់ដង្ហើមស្លាប់ (to die of suffocation) · nl verstikken (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · fr suffoquer (to die of suffocation) · oc reprimir (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something)) · km បន្ថប់ (to make (an animal or person) unconscious or cause (an animal or person) death by preventing breathing; smother, suffocate) · es afogar (to keep in, hold back, or repress (something))
The noun is derived from Middle English stifle (“joint between the femur and tibia of a quadruped”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain, probably derived from Anglo-Norman estive (“leg”), and Old French estive (“leg”) (compare Old French estival (“boot, shoe”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Meanings
The joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses, corresponding to the knee in humans.
fr grasset (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses) · fi takapolvi (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses) · fi polvi (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses) · pt jarrete (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses) · es babilla (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses) · it grassella (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses) · pt curvejão (joint between the femur and tibia in the hind leg of various four-legged mammals, especially horses)
The noun is derived from Middle English stifle (“joint between the femur and tibia of a quadruped”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain, probably derived from Anglo-Norman estive (“leg”), and Old French estive (“leg”) (compare Old French estival (“boot, shoe”)).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Meanings
(transitive) To cause (a dog, horse, or other four-legged mammal) to dislocate or sprain its stifle joint.