Smother



GRE 蓝宝 Barron TOEFL

解释

GRE 红宝书

• v.覆盖; ( 使) 闷死
• ［英］ v.覆盖 ( to cover thickly) ; ( 使) 闷死 ( to kill through lack of air)
• ［例］ They were smothered by the dust after explosion. ( 他们被爆炸后的尘土憋得透不过气来)

Webster Collegiate

I. noun

• Etymology: Middle English, alteration of smorther, from smoren to smother, from Old English smorian to suffocate; akin to Middle Dutch smoren to suffocate
• Date: 13th century
• 1.
  • a. thick stifling smoke or smudge
  • b. a state of being stifled or suppressed
• 2. a dense cloud (as of fog or dust)
• 3. a confused multitude of things ; welter
• ? smothery adjective

II. verb (smothered; smothering)

• Date: circa 1520
• intransitive verb
  • to be overcome or killed through or as if through lack of air
• transitive verb
  • 1. to overcome or kill with smoke or fumes
  • 2.
    • a. to kill by depriving of air
    • b. to overcome or discomfit through or as if through lack of air
    • c. to suppress (a fire) by excluding oxygen
  • 3.
    • a. to cause to smolder
    • b. to suppress expression or knowledge of <smothered his rage>
    • c. to stop or prevent the growth or activity of <smother a child with too much care>; also overwhelm
    • d. to cover thickly ; blanket <snow smothered the trails>
    • e. to overcome or vanquish quickly or decisively
  • 4. to cook in a covered pan or pot with little liquid over low heat

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