stifle 1
— stifler , n.
/stuy"feuhl/ , v. , stifled, stifling .
v.t.
1. to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle a revolt; to stifle free expression.
2. to suppress, curb, or withhold: to stifle a yawn.
3. to kill by impeding respiration; smother.
v.i.
4. to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.
5. to become stifled or suffocated.
[ 1350-1400; ME stifla to stop up, dam, akin to stifr stiff ]
Syn. 1. prevent, preclude, put down. 2. check. 3. suffocate, strangle, choke.
Ant. 1, 2. encourage.
stifle 2
/stuy"feuhl/ , n.
(in a horse or other quadruped) the joint between the femur and the tibia, corresponding anatomically to the human knee. Also called stifle joint . See diag. under horse .
[ 1275-1325; ME ]