~ 1
■ verb
1》 prevent from breathing freely; suffocate.
2》 smother or suppress: she ~d a giggle.
↘prevent or constrain (an activity or idea).
Derivatives
~r noun
stifling adjective
stiflingly adverb
Origin
ME: perh. from a frequentative of OFr. estouffer 'smother, ~'.
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~ 2
■ noun a joint in the legs of horses, dogs, and other animals, equivalent to the knee in humans.
Origin
ME: of unknown origin.