choke

choke1 [ tʃouk ] verb *

▸ 1 not be able to breathe

▸ 2 squeeze someone's neck

▸ 3 fill so moving is hard

▸ 4 speak with difficulty

▸ 5 lose confidence and fail

▸ 6 stop growth

▸ 7 stop development

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive or transitive if you choke, or if something chokes you, you cannot breathe because there is not enough air or because something is blocking your throat:

Joe took a bite of the steak and started to choke.

choke on: Ruth almost choked on a mouthful of cake.

choke to death: The four-year-old choked to death after swallowing a coin.

choking smoke/fumes/smog: There was a choking smog in Los Angeles yesterday.

2. ) transitive to squeeze someone's neck so they cannot breathe:

Charlie wanted to take Herrick by the throat and choke him to death.

3. ) choke or choke up transitive to fill a place so that it is difficult to move:

choke with: We live in cities that are choked with traffic.

4. ) intransitive if your voice chokes, you cannot speak clearly, usually because of a strong emotion or because you are laughing:

choke with: Her voice choked with emotion when she spoke of the sister she had lost.

a ) transitive to say something in a strange voice and with difficulty because you are frightened, angry, sad, etc.:

I don't want to be your secretary! she choked.

5. ) intransitive INFORMAL to fail to achieve something, especially because you lose confidence:

Jordan seemed to choke and missed three easy shots.

6. ) transitive if stronger plants choke weaker ones, they surround them and stop them from growing:

The weeds quickly choke less robust plants.

7. ) choke or choke off transitive to stop someone or something from developing or being successful:

Business leaders claim that the strong dollar is choking exports.

If prices are too high, demand is choked off.

,choke `back or ,choke `down phrasal verb transitive

to stop yourself from showing a feeling or emotion:

choke back tears: Ms. Ross choked back tears as she described what had happened.

,choke `down phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to eat or drink something with difficulty because you do not like it or because you are sick or upset:

Emma managed to choke down a banana.

2. ) same as CHOKE BACK:

Gail tried to choke down the urge to hit him.

,choke `off phrasal verb transitive

choke off something same as CHOKE1 7

,choke `up phrasal verb

1. ) intransitive or transitive if someone chokes up, or if something chokes them up, they cannot speak because they are starting to cry:

When we met again after five years, I just choked up.

2. ) transitive same as CHOKE1 3:

Cars and trucks are choking up our streets.

choke

choke 2 [ tʃouk ] noun

1. ) count the action or sound of choking

2. ) count the part of a vehicle that helps it to start by reducing the amount of air going into the engine

a ) uncount the reduction of air going into an engine, achieved by using a choke