asphyxiate

play

verb as·phyx·i·ate \-sē-ˌāt\

Definition of asphyxiate

asphyxiated

;

asphyxiating

transitive verb
: to cause asphyxia in : to kill, suspend animation in, or make unconscious through want of adequate oxygen, presence of noxious agents, or other obstruction to normal breathing The murder victim was asphyxiated.
intransitive verb
: to become asphyxiated … ended in several deaths, including that of a … secretary who asphyxiated during a smoke bombing. — Robert I. Friedman

asphyxiation

play \-ˌfik-sē-ˈā-shən\ noun

See asphyxiate defined for English-language learners

See asphyxiate defined for kids

Recent Examples of asphyxiate from the Web

According to the medical examiner, Pinkney was fatally asphyxiated, police said.

— jack henkels, PEOPLE.com, "Man Allegedly Kills Stepdad, Posts Selfie with Body and Tells Witness, ‘I Told You I Would Do It’," 10 July 2017
In our latest episode, according to CNN, the airplane apparently tried to asphyxiate its pilots.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Checking in on an Insanely Expensive Military Blunder," 13 June 2017
The stepfather of a 13-year-old girl found dead on the side of an Arizona road is accused of asphyxiating the girl to death.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Cops: Stepfather asphyxiated girl found dead near Arizona road," 1 June 2017
The deceased — a 4-month-old boy with multiple old and fresh breaks in his ribs — clearly had been asphyxiated, Downs said.

— deanna boyd, star-telegram.com, "Ruling deaths ‘undetermined’ isn’t wrong, but that doesn’t make it right," 31 May 2017
Both bastions of table-side service, that restaurant and Otto's source their birds from the same supplier in Challans, France, bred for their blood content and asphyxiated at eight months old to make sure none of it escapes.

— thomas page, CNN, "Dine macabre: When blood is on the menu," 30 May 2017
Slowly, the region’s economy is being asphyxiated by the criminal groups.

— Washington Post, "In Mexico, the price of America’s hunger for heroin," 30 May 2017
Over a span of at least six hours on June 24, 2005, the killer asphyxiated Adrienne Heredia, 29, as well as three of her children: 13-year-old Andreas Crawford, 12-year-old Enrique Bedoya and 9-year-old Inez Newman.

— megan cassidy, azcentral, "Jury finds Preston Strong guilty of 2005 slayings of Yuma family," 26 Apr. 2017
It had been doused with lighter fluid and set on fire, and an autopsy determined that she was asphyxiated.

— Washington Post, "Woman on Texas death row loses appeal," 26 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'asphyxiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of asphyxiate

see asphyxia

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1836

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ASPHYXIATE Defined for Kids

asphyxiate

play

verb as·phyx·i·ate \as-ˈfik-sē-ˌāt\

Definition of asphyxiate for Students

asphyxiated

;

asphyxiating

: to cause (as a person) to become unconscious or die by cutting off the normal taking in of oxygen whether by blocking breathing or by replacing the oxygen of the air with another gas

Medical Dictionary

asphyxiate

play

verb as·phyx·i·ate \-sē-ˌāt\

Medical Definition of asphyxiate

asphyxiated

;

asphyxiating

transitive verb

: to cause asphyxia in; also : to kill or make unconscious through inadequate oxygen, presence of noxious agents, or other obstruction to normal breathing