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.
Recent Examples of choke from the Web
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A post-mortem examination revealed that Mikey had choked in his sleep, but the exact cause wasn't determined.
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BCBG Max Azria BCBG Max Azria Group filed for bankruptcy protection, choked by a huge debt load The electronics retailer was unable to adjust to the Amazon era, unlike rival Best Buy (bby).
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This spot, like many on the Brule and other rivers in the state, had become choked with silt; trout reproduction was drastically reduced.
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The girl was still choking, and Gonzalez performed the Heimlich, saving Rodgers' life.
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China, whose cities are choked by air pollution, may lead the way.
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Sonnen was choked out by Tito Ortiz in his Bellator debut in January.
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A safety recall targets more than 200,000 Britax car seats over concerns that a chest clip could break off and create a choking hazard.
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Later, as Ms. Putman got into Ms. Moreland’s Honda Civic, Mr. Hodgkinson opened the car door, turned off the ignition, slashed her seatbelt with a pocketknife and ultimately tried to choke his grandniece, the police said.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'choke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
Recent Examples of choke from the Web
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Wrestling has put the rap game in a choke hold on more than one occasion.
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But its location across from the Indiana Jones attraction has long been a choke point for crowds that also has to make their way around the entrance to the Tarzan’s Treehouse attraction to get to New Orleans Square and points beyond.
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The restaurant leaves the choke intact to be removed by the diner when eating.
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Some natural growth has started this spring, including choke cherries popping up from the dirt.
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SP also mentions the 850-stall parking garage pitched by OVG would cost $47 million to build — with OVG seeking an undisclosed Port of Seattle subsidy for it — and would create an additional traffic choke point.
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Washington (CNN)Greg Gianforte's choke-slam of reporter Ben Jacobs on Wednesday night -- and the ensuing assault charge -- might not cost him a victory in today's Montana special election.
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Evil planned it out carefully, making the bomb, and then selecting that spot outside the concert venue at Manchester, waiting in what terrorism experts say was a choke point, to maximize the damage.
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The group of mothers who’d led the charge against HANO as young adults themselves began to watch a generation of their grandchildren grow up in their homes and choke on the same lead dust.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'choke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of choke
see 1choke
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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