Choker
/ˈtʃoʊ.kɚ/noun
A close-fitting necklace worn tightly around the neck, or a person or thing that chokes.
Did you know?In English, *choker* grew from the verb *choke*, which comes from a very old Germanic root meaning to cough or choke—so the word’s history is literally about constriction, not fashion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kauk- / *kaukōną
“to cough, choke, or make a harsh throat sound”
Old English
OE
cēacian
“to choke or suffocate”
Middle English
ME
choken
“to choke, strangle, or obstruct the throat”
16th Century
English
choker
“one who or that which chokes”
19th Century
English
choker
“a close-fitting neck ornament”
Modern English
English
choker
“a tight necklace worn around the neck”