Smothered
/ˈsmʌð.ərd/noun
Covered so as to suffocate, stifle, or overwhelm; also used figuratively for something buried or muted.
Did you know?The verb *smother* is closely tied to old words for smoke and choking, which is why it has always carried the sense of being buried alive by airless pressure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*smeu-
“to smear, rub, or make dirty”
Old English
OE
smorian
“to suffocate or choke”
Middle English
ME
smotheren
“to stifle, suffocate, or kill by lack of air”
15th Century
English
smother
“to suffocate or extinguish by covering”
Modern English
English
smothered
“covered, stifled, or suffocated”
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