Choke
/tʃoʊk/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo have breathing obstructed, typically by a foreign object in the throat.
/tʃoʊk/
To stop breathing because of something blocking the windpipe.
The small child choked on a grape.
💡 Simply: Imagine something's stuck in your throat and you can't breathe! That's choking. It's like when you accidentally swallow something the wrong way.
👶 For kids: When something gets stuck in your throat and you can't breathe.
More Examples
He started to choke on a piece of steak.
How It's Used
"The child choked on a piece of candy."
"He choked on his food."
To suppress or restrain.
/tʃoʊk/
To restrict or suppress something.
The smoke choked the air.
💡 Simply: Choking can also mean stopping something from working properly or making it weak, like a team that suddenly plays badly and loses a game. It's like something's holding it back.
👶 For kids: To stop something from working well.
More Examples
The pressure choked his creativity.
How It's Used
"The smoke choked the air."
"The defense choked in the final quarter."
A mechanism that restricts the flow of air or fuel.
/tʃoʊk/
A device for restricting the flow of something.
The carburetor has a choke.
💡 Simply: A choke is something that controls the flow of something, like how a choke on a car engine controls the amount of air getting in.
👶 For kids: A thing that stops something from flowing.
More Examples
The choke on the engine was stuck.
How It's Used
"The engineer adjusted the choke on the engine."
Idioms & expressions
choke back tears
To suppress or restrain tears from falling.
"She choked back tears as she spoke."
From Middle English *choken, from Old English *cēocan, meaning "to gasp"; related to Dutch koken and German kochen.
Historically, the word 'choke' was more often used in its literal sense (obstruction of breathing). Its figurative use in reference to suppression or failure under pressure developed later.
Memory tip
Think of a chicken choking on a kernel of corn.
Word Origin
"to gasp"