suffocation
/sˌʌfəkˈeɪʃən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.80 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Asphyxia—a condition in which an extreme decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the body accompanied by an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide leads to loss of consciousness or death.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "A child left unattended may die of suffocation."
- "The moon, directly opposite, flung into the room a long and tremulous line of light, which fell on Guido's face, as he reclined on the pillows which supported his head; he needed the support, for a feeling of suffocation was his constant complaint."
- "The coroner reported three suffocations last week."
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English suffocation, suffocacioun, from Middle French suffocation, from Latin suffocatio.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: suffocation, suffocatio