choke

1 of 2

verb

ˈchōk 

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.

2

a

: 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.

2

a

: to become obstructed or checked

b

: to become or feel constricted (see constrict sense 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

choke

2 of 2

noun

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 as

a

: a valve for choking (see choke entry 1 sense 3) a gasoline engine

b

: a constriction in an outlet (as of an oil well) that restricts flow

c

: reactor sense 2

d

: a constriction (such as a narrowing of the barrel or an attachment) at the muzzle (see muzzle entry 1 sense 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.

Synonyms

Verb

• garrote
• garotte
• strangle
• suffocate
• throttle

Examples of choke in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Verb

One goal with My Mama, Cass was finally putting any ridiculous myths to bed, including the rumor that Elliot died after choking on a ham sandwich. —Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023

The building choked with cooking smells, decaying trash and human waste. —John Eligon, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023

California Video shows high school football player being choked, whipped in Los Osos locker room Nov. 1, 2023 Three patients at the scene on the 6500 block of North Cedros Avenue were identified only as teenage boys, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Nicholas Prange. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023

He was once accused of choking player Neil Reed during a practice, and of throwing a chair during a Purdue game. —Jaden Thompson, Variety, 1 Nov. 2023

Salmon evolved to swim and spawn in cold, free-flowing rivers that the dams choked into warm, stagnant lakes, full of bass and other invasive predators. —Tony Schick, ProPublica, 31 Oct. 2023

Years ago, plant biologists noticed that trinitrotoluene (TNT, an explosive) builds up in root tissues, choking plants. —WIRED, 30 Oct. 2023

In May, 2007, Albrecht was arrested for choking his girlfriend in the parking lot of a Las Vegas hotel, and resigned. —Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023

Something to be aware of is the amount of small pieces in these kits, which can easily become choking hazards. —Julia Pelly, Parents, 24 Oct. 2023

Noun

For a choke, go no tighter than Modified and err on the side of a wider choke—Improved being the ideal constriction. —Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 18 Oct. 2023

Staley has attributed the postseason choke job in Jacksonville to a lack of experience and said his team would learn from it. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023

But as likable as Fowler is, there's still the choke factor. —Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 18 June 2023

That resulted in an argument from others at the scene who said the girl had been seizing and said food in her mouth could become a choke hazard. —Ashley Killough, CNN, 15 Aug. 2023

The Redwoods Rising thinning project, which began in 2020 and involves an annual budget of $10 to $12 million, is also tackling the aftermath of unbridled helicopter reseeding by the timber industry that created the choke of subsequent redwood and Douglas fir forests of today. —Jim Robbins Ian C. Bates, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2023

In 1961, the Beetle's transmission becomes fully synchronized, and an automatic choke and a pump-type windshield washer system are fitted. —Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023

Penny used a blood choke to kill Jordan Neely, and furthermore, Penny locked his choke—placing his hand on the back of Neely’s head as a fulcrum, a step that increases its effectiveness. —Alex Thomas, The New Republic, 9 June 2023

With simple electric start buttons and no need for refueling or pulling chokes, electric lawn mowers are much easier to use than gas models, too. —Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 July 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, alteration of achoken, from Old English ācēocian, from ā-, perfective prefix + cēoce, cēace jaw, cheek — more at abide, cheek

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing choke

• choke back
• choke coil
• choke chain
• choke up
• choke off
• choke point
• choke out
• choke hold
• choke down

• choke back
• choke coil
• choke chain
• choke up
• choke off
• choke point
• choke out
• choke hold
• choke down

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Kids Definition

choke

1 of 2 verb

ˈchōk 

choked; choking

1

: to keep from breathing in a normal way by cutting off the supply of air

choked by smoke

2

: to have the windpipe blocked entirely or partly

choke on a bone

3

: to slow or prevent the growth or action of

choke back tears

4

: to block by clogging

leaves choked the drain

5

: to decrease or shut off the air intake of a carburetor to make the fuel mixture richer

6

: to grip (as a baseball bat) some distance from the end of the handle

—usually used with up

choke

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of choking

2

: a portion of a shotgun bore that narrows toward the muzzle

also : a device attached to the muzzle that narrows the bore

3

: a device for choking a gasoline engine

Medical Definition

choke

1 of 2 verb

ˈchōk 

choked; choking

transitive verb

: to keep from breathing in a normal way by compressing or obstructing the trachea or by poisoning or adulterating available air

intransitive verb

: to have the trachea blocked entirely or partly

choke

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of choking

2

chokes plural : pulmonary manifestations of decompression sickness including shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough

—used with the