Asphyxiate
/æsˈfɪk.si.eɪt/noun
To cause someone to suffocate or be deprived of oxygen.
Did you know?Asphyxiate ultimately comes from Greek roots meaning “without pulse,” because ancient medicine linked breathing and heartbeat so closely that losing one felt like losing life itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
asphyktos
“not pulsating; without a pulse”
Late Latin
Latin
asphyxia
“suffocation; a stopping of the pulse or breathing”
16th–17th Century
French
asphyxie
“suffocation, especially a sudden stoppage of breathing”
18th Century
English
asphyxia
“suffocation; inability to breathe”
19th Century
English
asphyxiate
“to suffocate or kill by depriving of air”
Modern English
English
asphyxiate
“to cause a person or animal to suffocate or be deprived of oxygen”
Explore more surprising origins