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Choke
Definitions
- 1 A control on a carburetor to adjust the air/fuel mixture when the engine is cold.
- 2 The mass of immature florets in the centre of the bud of an artichoke.
"Once all the leaves are gone, a hairy little island will remain in the middle of the artichoke. This is the “choke.” A gentleman uses his knife and fork to slice it away, uncovering the delicious artichoke “heart” underneath."
- 3 a valve that controls the flow of air into the carburetor of a gasoline engine wordnet
- 4 In wrestling, karate (etc.), a type of hold that can result in strangulation.
- 5 a coil of low resistance and high inductance used in electrical circuits to pass direct current and attenuate alternating current wordnet
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- 6 A constriction at the muzzle end of a shotgun barrel which affects the spread of the shot.
- 7 A partial or complete blockage (of boulders, mud, etc.) in a cave passage.
- 8 A choking coil.
- 9 A major mistake at a crucial stage of a competition because one is nervous, especially when one is winning.
- 1 To be unable to breathe because of obstruction of the windpipe (for instance food or other objects that go down the wrong way, or fumes or particles in the air that cause the throat to constrict). intransitive
"Ever since he choked on a bone, he has refused to eat fish."
- 2 breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion wordnet
- 3 To prevent (someone) from breathing or talking by strangling or filling the windpipe. transitive
"The collar of this shirt is too tight; it’s choking me."
- 4 cause to retch or choke wordnet
- 5 To obstruct (a passage, etc.) by filling it up or clogging it. transitive
"to choke a cave passage with boulders and mud"
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- 6 struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake wordnet
- 7 To hinder or check, as growth, expansion, progress, etc.; to kill (a plant by robbing it of nutrients); to extinguish (fire by robbing it of oxygen). transitive
"Now ’tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted; Suffer them now, and they’ll o’ergrow the garden And choke the herbs for want of husbandry."
- 8 constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing wordnet
- 9 To perform badly at a crucial stage of a competition, especially when one appears to be clearly winning. colloquial, intransitive
"He has a lot of talent, but he tends to choke under pressure."
- 10 reduce the air supply wordnet
- 11 To move one's fingers very close to the tip of a pencil, brush or other art tool. transitive
"A brief tryout will demonstrate that the modified grip does indeed make it difficult to “choke” the pencil or apply excessive pressure to the paper."
- 12 pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life wordnet
- 13 To hold the club or bat lower on the shaft in order to shorten one's swing. transitive
"Take a grip with your right hand, slightly choked down from your normal grip."
- 14 suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of wordnet
- 15 To be checked or stopped, as if by choking intransitive
"[…] the words choked in his throat."
- 16 become stultified, suppressed, or stifled wordnet
- 17 To check or stop (an utterance or voice) as if by choking. transitive
"A hundred times fain he would have spoke, but still his rising Passion choak’d his Words;"
- 18 impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of wordnet
- 19 To have a feeling of strangulation in one's throat as a result of passion or strong emotion. intransitive
"Grobstock began to choke with chagrin."
- 20 become or cause to become obstructed wordnet
- 21 To give (someone) a feeling of strangulation as a result of passion or strong emotion. transitive
"[…] I am very sensible how much the Gentlemen of Wit and Pleasure are apt to murmur, and be choqued at the Sight of so many daggled-tail Parsons, who happen to fall in their Way, and offend their Eyes […]"
- 22 be too tight; rub or press wordnet
- 23 To say (something) with one’s throat constricted (due to emotion, for example). transitive
"‘There is the padre!’ Kim choked as bare-headed Father Victor sailed down upon them from the veranda."
- 24 wring the neck of wordnet
- 25 To use the choke valve of (a vehicle) to adjust the air/fuel mixture in the engine. transitive
"The engine caught, spluttered, and roared as Tom choked the car delicately."
- 26 check or slow down the action or effect of wordnet
- 27 To reach a condition of maximum flowrate, due to the flow at the narrowest point of the duct becoming sonic (Ma = 1). intransitive
- 28 fail to perform adequately due to tension or agitation wordnet
- 29 To make or install a choke, as in a cartridge, or in the bore of the barrel of a shotgun.
Etymology
From Middle English choken (also cheken), from earlier acheken, from Old English āċēocian (“to choke”), probably derived from Old English ċēoce, ċēace (“jaw, cheek”), see cheek. Cognate with Icelandic kok (“throat”), koka (“to gulp”). See also achoke.
From Middle English choken (also cheken), from earlier acheken, from Old English āċēocian (“to choke”), probably derived from Old English ċēoce, ċēace (“jaw, cheek”), see cheek. Cognate with Icelandic kok (“throat”), koka (“to gulp”). See also achoke.
Back-formation from artichoke.
See also for "choke"
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Unscramble this word: choke