Definition of choke
choked
;choking
transitive verb
1 : to check or block normal breathing of by compressing or obstructing the trachea or by poisoning or adulterating available air The unwary guard was choked to death by a prisoner.
2a : to check or hinder the growth, development, or activity of The flowers were choked by the weeds.b : to obstruct by filling up or clogging Leaves choked the drain.c : to fill completely : jam roads choked with traffic
3 : to enrich the fuel mixture of (a motor) by partially shutting off the air intake of the carburetor
4 : to grip (something, such as a baseball bat) some distance from the end of the handle —usually used with up The batter choked up the bat and cut down his swing.
intransitive verb
1 : to become choked in breathing He choked on a bone.
2a : to become obstructed or checkedb : to become or feel constricted (see constrict 1) in the throat (as from strong emotion) —usually used with up choked up and couldn't finish the speech
3 : to shorten one's grip especially on the handle of a bat —usually used with up
4 : to lose one's composure and fail to perform effectively in a critical situation had a chance to win the game but he choked
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Examples of choke in a Sentence
Chew your food well so you don't choke.
We were choking on fumes.
The thick smoke was choking me.
The flowers were choked by the weeds.
choke
Definition of choke
1 [by folk etymology from artichoke] : the filamentous inedible center of an artichoke flower head; broadly : an artichoke flower head
2 : something that obstructs passage or flow: such asa : a valve for choking (see 1choke 3) a gasoline engineb : a constriction in an outlet (as of an oil well) that restricts flowc : reactor 2d : a constriction (such as a narrowing of the barrel or an attachment) at the muzzle (see 1muzzle 3) of a shotgun that serves to limit the spread of shot
3 : the act of choking A few chokes dislodged the food in her throat.
Origin and Etymology of choke
see 1choke
First Known Use: 1736
Other Automotive Terms
CHOKE Defined for English Language Learners
choke
playDefinition of choke for English Language Learners
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: to become unable to breathe usually because something gets stuck in your throat or because the air is not good for breathing
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: to cause (someone) to stop breathing by squeezing the throat
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: to make (someone) unable to breathe in a normal way
choke
Definition of choke for English Language Learners
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: a part in a vehicle that controls the flow of air into the engine
CHOKE Defined for Kids
choke
playDefinition of choke for Students
choked
;choking
1 : to keep from breathing in a normal way by cutting off the supply of air Many people were choked by thick smoke.
2 : to have the trachea blocked entirely or partly He nearly choked on a bone.
3 : to slow or prevent the growth or action of The flowers were choked by weeds.
4 : to block by clogging Leaves choked the sewer.
choke down
: to eat with difficulty I choked down a bite.
choke up
: to become too emotional to speak
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of choke
choked
;choking
transitive verb
: to keep from breathing in a normal way by compressing or obstructing the trachea or by poisoning or adulterating available airintransitive verb
: to have the trachea blocked entirely or partly
choke
Medical Definition of choke
1: the act of choking
2chokes plural : pulmonary manifestations of decompression sickness including shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough—used with the
Learn More about choke
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See words that rhyme with choke Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for choke Spanish Central: Translation of choke Nglish: Translation of choke for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of choke for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about choke
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