suffocate
part of speech
verb (suffocate, suffocates, suffocated, suffocating)
meaning for a pupil
1) To suffocate is to be unable to breathe because there is not enough air, which can make a person or animal very ill or die. tree →
2) To suffocate someone or something is to stop it getting air. tree →
3) To feel suffocated is to feel trapped or held back, or very hot and stuffy. tree →
sense in the lessons
Very important in safety lessons: plastic bags are not toys, because they can cover the nose and mouth and suffocate a child; never shut anyone or a pet in a box, fridge or car. In science, fire needs oxygen, so a fire blanket suffocates flames. Phrases: «suffocating heat».
examples
- Plastic bags can suffocate small children, so never play with them. tree →
- A fire blanket suffocates the flames by keeping air out. tree →
- Never leave a dog in a hot car; it could suffocate. tree →
- The heat in the tent was suffocating. tree →
- Weeds can suffocate the young plants. tree →
- Keep pillows and soft toys out of a baby's cot so it can't suffocate. tree →
- He felt suffocated in the crowded room. tree →
- Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were suffocated. tree →
note
Regular verb: drop the e: «suffocated», «suffocating». Spelling: double f. Fires need oxygen, so cutting off air puts them out. If someone cannot breathe, call emergency services at once.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «suffocate» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.