Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense chokes, present participle choking, past tense, past participle choked
1. verb
When you choke or when something chokes you, you cannot breathe properly or get enough air into your lungs.
The coffee was almost too hot to swallow and made him choke for a moment. [VERB]
A small child could choke on the doll's hair. [VERB + on]
Dense smoke swirled and billowed, its rank fumes choking her. [VERB noun]
The girl choked to death after breathing in smoke. [VERB + to]
Within minutes the hall was full of choking smoke. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: suffocate, stifle, smother, overpower More Synonyms of choke
2. verb
To choke someone means to squeeze their neck until they are dead.
The men pushed him into the entrance of a nearby building where they choked him withhis tie. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: strangle, throttle, asphyxiate More Synonyms of choke
3. verb [usually passive]
If a place is chokedwith things or people, it is full of them and they prevent movement in it.
The village's roads are choked with traffic. [beVERB-ed + with]
His pond has been choked by the fast-growing weed. [beVERB-ed + by]
Synonyms: block, dam, clog, obstruct More Synonyms of choke
4. countable noun [usually singular]
The choke in a car, truck, or other vehicle is a device that reduces the amount of air going into the engine and makes it easier to start.
Phrasal verbs:
See choke back
See choke off
choke in British English
(tʃəʊk)
verb
1. (transitive)
to hinder or stop the breathing of (a person or animal), esp by constricting the windpipe or by asphyxiation
2. (intransitive)
to have trouble or fail in breathing, swallowing, or speaking
3. (transitive)
to block or clog up (a passage, pipe, street, etc)
4. (transitive)
to retard the growth or action of
the weeds are choking my plants
5. (transitive)
to suppress (emotion)
she choked her anger
6. (intransitive) slang
to die
7. (transitive)
to enrich the petrol-air mixture by reducing the air supply to (a carburettor, petrol engine, etc)
8. (intransitive)
(esp in sport) to be seized with tension and fail to perform well
noun
9.
the act or sound of choking
10.
a device in the carburettor of a petrol engine that enriches the petrol-air mixtureby reducing the air supply
11.
any constriction or mechanism for reducing the flow of a fluid in a pipe, tube, etc
12. Also called: choke coil electronics
an inductor having a relatively high impedance, used to prevent the passage of high frequencies or to smooth the output of a rectifier
13.
the inedible centre of the head of an artichoke
Derived forms
chokeable (ˈchokeable)
adjective
Word origin
Old English ācēocian, of Germanic origin; related to cheek
choke in American English
(tʃoʊk)
verb transitiveWord forms: choked or ˈchoking
1.
to prevent from breathing by blocking the windpipe or squeezing the throat of; strangle; suffocate; smother; stifle
2.
to block up; obstruct by clogging
3.
to hinder the growth or action of; smother; suppress
4.
to fill up
5.
to cut off some air from the carburetor of (a gasoline engine) in order to make a richer gasoline mixture
6. US
to hold (a bat, golf club, etc.) away from the end of the handle and closer toward the middle
verb intransitive
7.
to be suffocated; have difficulty in breathing
8.
to be blocked up; be obstructed
9.
to become strained with emotion
a choked voice
10. Informal
to be unable to perform efficiently, as in a sporting event, because of tension, strong emotion, etc.
noun
11.
the act of choking; strangulation
12.
a sound of choking
13.
the valve that chokes a carburetor
14.
a constriction, as in a chokebore
Idioms:
choke back
choke down
choke off
choke up
Word origin
ME choken, aphetic < OE vt. aceocian, to choke, prob. < base of ceoke, jaw, cheek
choke in Automotive Engineering
(tʃoʊk)
Word forms: (regular plural) chokes
noun
(Automotive engineering: Vehicle components, Bodywork, controls, and accessories)
The choke in a vehicle is a device that reduces the amount of air going into the engine andmakes it easier to start the engine or run it in cold weather.
A choke gets the engine firing right, with the right air/fuel mixture and lets it warm upwithout being too rich or too lean.
The choke circuit restricts the flow of air through the carburetor, thus increasing the percentageof fuel mixed with that air to help the engine start and warm up.
Almost all American cars use a butterfly valve-type choke, placed near the carburetor's air inlet.
choke in Mechanical Engineering
(tʃoʊk)
Word forms: (regular plural) chokes
noun
(Mechanical engineering: Fluid engineering)
A choke is a device for reducing the flow of a fluid in a pipe or tube.
The choke on a motorcycle restricts the amount of air that is mixed with the gas.
A choke is a device that restricts the flow of air at the entrance of the carburetor.
A choke is a device for reducing the flow of a fluid in a pipe or tube.
choke in the Oil and Gas Industry
(tʃoʊk)
Word forms: (regular plural) chokes
noun
(Extractive engineering: Field development, Drilling)
A choke is a device which controls the flow rate of a fluid in a pipe.
The well flow is controlled with a choke.
Chokes are used to control the rate of flow of the drilling mud out of the hole.
A choke is a device which controls the flow rate of a fluid in a pipe.
choke in Electrical Engineering
(tʃoʊk)
Word forms: (regular plural) chokes
noun
(Electrical engineering: Electronics components)
A choke is a coil of low resistance and high inductance that is used in electrical circuits to pass low frequency or direct currents while stopping the higher frequency alternating currents.
Inductors called chokes are used as parts of filters in power supplies or to block alternating current signalsfrom passing through a circuit.
Chokes are inductors used to eliminate alternating current above a certain frequency.
A choke is a coil of low resistance and high inductance that is used in electrical circuitsto pass low frequency or direct currents while stopping the higher frequency alternatingcurrents.
Examples of 'choke' in a sentence
choke
The sound of choking can be heard.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Briggs was so much choked by emotion that she could hardly take a morsel of meat.
William Thackeray Vanity Fair (1837)
The scream which had been coming almost choked him.
Frances Hodgson Burnett The Secret Garden (1911)
It is like driving your car with the choke out all the time.
Vera Peiffer POSITIVE THINKING: Everything you have always known about positive thinking but wereafraid to put into practice (2001)
Why do you think lay people choke up at the mention of evangelism or witnessing?
Christianity Today (2000)
At one point he has to choke back tears of regret.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
She also warns that meddling by ministers risks costing jobs and choking economic growth.
The Sun (2015)
Suddenly the engine made a dreadful choking sound and we plunged towards the ground.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He found a dozen people toiling amid choking dust.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
These illiquid assets are choking off the flow of credit that is so vitally important to our economy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Rhodry grabbed him by a twist of shirt that nearly choked him and hauled him face to face.
Kerr, Katharine A Time of War (1993)
And probably choking back a tear.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Does she choke up on air?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The choke restricts the flow of air when the engine is cold and more fuel is needed in the mix for ignition.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They grab the game by the scruff of the neck, choke their opponents.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The aim is to choke Mafia supply lines without expensive and risky court proceedings.
The Sun (2006)
Globe artichokes are members of the thistle family and, with their robust leaves and inedible choke, they can seem rather arduous to prepare.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
choke
British English: choke /tʃəʊk/ VERB
When you choke or when something chokes you, you cannot breathe properly or get enough air into your lungs.
A small child could choke on the doll's hair.
American English: choke
Arabic: يَخْتَنِقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: engasgar-se
Chinese: 哽住
Croatian: gušiti se
Czech: dusit (se)
Danish: være ved at kvæles
Dutch: verstikken
European Spanish: asfixiar estrangular
Finnish: tukehtua
French: s’étouffer
German: ersticken
Greek: πνίγομαι
Italian: soffocare
Japanese: 息が詰まる
Korean: 숨이 막히다
Norwegian: kvele
Polish: dusić
European Portuguese: engasgar-se
Romanian: a se sufoca
Russian: душить
Latin American Spanish: asfixiar regular el flujo
Swedish: kvävas
Thai: ทำให้หายใจไม่ออก
Turkish: tıkanmak
Ukrainian: задихатися
Vietnamese: bị nghẹt thở
British English: choke NOUN
The choke in a car, truck, or other vehicle is a device that reduces the amount of air going into the engine and makes it easier to start.
It is like driving your car with the choke out all the time.
American English: choke
Brazilian Portuguese: afogador
Chinese: 阻气门
European Spanish: estárter
French: starter
German: Choke
Italian: valvola dell'aria
Japanese: チョーク
Korean: 초크
European Portuguese: estrangulador
Latin American Spanish: estárter
All related terms of 'choke'
choke off
To choke off financial growth means to restrict or control the rate at which a country's economy can grow .
choke up
to block (a drain , pipe, etc) completely
choke back
If you choke back tears or a strong emotion , you force yourself not to show your emotion.
choke chain
a collar and lead for a dog so designed that if the dog drags on the lead the collar tightens round its neck
choke coil
an inductor used to limit or suppress alternating current without stopping direct current
choke down
to swallow with difficulty
choke-full
completely full
choke hold
a restraining hold, as when one person encircles the neck of another from behind in a viselike grip with the arm
choke collar
a training collar for a dog, that tightens when the dog strains at the leash
choke off recovery
When there is a recovery in a country's economy , it improves .
Chinese translation of 'choke'
choke
(tʃəuk)
vi
(on food, drink) 噎住 (yēzhù)
(with smoke, dust) 呛(嗆) (qiàng)
vt
(= strangle)[rope etc]使窒息 (shǐ zhìxī)
to choke sb掐某人的脖子 (qiā mǒurén de bózi)
(= block)
to be choked with sth塞满(滿)某物 (sāimǎn mǒuwù)
n(c)
(Aut) 阻塞门(門) (zǔsèmén)
to choke on sth被某物噎了 (bèi mǒuwù yē le)
to choke to death呛(嗆)死 (qiàngsǐ)
1 (verb)
Definition
to have trouble in breathing, swallowing, or speaking
Dense smoke swirled and billowed, its fumes choking her.
Synonyms
suffocate
They were suffocated as they slept.
stifle
smother
They worried he'd be smothered by his pillow.
overpower
asphyxiate
2 (verb)
Definition
to hinder or stop the breathing of (a person or animal) by strangling or smothering
They tried to choke him with his tie.
Synonyms
strangle
He was almost strangled by his parachute harness straps.
throttle
The strap of his haversack was twisted round his throat and was in danger of throttling him.
asphyxiate
Three people were asphyxiated in the crush.
3 (verb)
Definition
to hinder the growth of
The village roads are choked with traffic.
Synonyms
block
When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.
dam
The reservoir was formed by damming the River Blith.
clog
The traffic clogged the Thames bridges.
obstruct
Lorries obstructed the road completely.
bung
constrict
Severe migraine can be treated with a drug which constricts the blood vessels.
occlude (formal)
congest
close
stop
I think she really would have liked to stop everything right there.
bar
For added safety, bar the door to the kitchen.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of asphyxiate
Definition
to smother or suffocate
Three people were asphyxiated in the crush.
Synonyms
suffocate,
choke,
strangle,
stifle,
smother,
throttle,
strangulate
in the sense of bar
Definition
to secure with a bar
For added safety, bar the door to the kitchen.
Synonyms
lock,
block,
secure,
chain,
attach,
anchor,
bolt,
blockade,
barricade,
fortify,
fasten,
latch,
obstruct,
make firm,
make fast,
stop
in the sense of clog
Definition
to obstruct or become obstructed with thick or sticky matter