n.
Function: noun
Date: 1736
1 [by folk etymology from arti choke ] : the filamentous inedible center of an artichoke flower head broadly : an artichoke flower head
2 : something that obstructs passage or flow: as a : a valve for choking a gasoline engine b : a constriction in an outlet (as of an oil well) that restricts flow c : REACTOR 2 d : a constriction (as a narrowing of the barrel or an attachment) at the muzzle of a shotgun that serves to limit the spread of shot
3 : the act of choking