strangle
UK/'stræŋg(ə)l/US/'stræŋgl/
B2
Definitions
v.
To kill someone by squeezing their throat so they cannot breathe.
勒死，掐死。
v.
To suppress, stifle, or prevent something from developing.
压制，扼杀（发展）。
Root Breakdown
Native English=strangle
From Greek strangalē, "a halter, a cord for choking" — only distantly related to Latin stringere through the shared idea of tightening a cord. To strangle is to tighten around a throat; figuratively, to strangle competition is to choke it off.
Root strain still carries 57 more wordsWhy It Means This
strangle is only a cousin of the strain family, not a direct member. It comes through Greek strangalē rather than Latin stringere, but both descend from the same ancient idea of a tight, twisting cord — so the "squeeze tight" image still connects it to the rest.
Common Collocations
- 1.strangle a victim勒死受害者
- 2.strangle competition扼杀竞争
- 3.strangle growth遏制增长
- 4.strangle the economy扼杀经济
Example Sentences
- 1.
The victim had been strangled with a rope.
- 2.
Heavy taxes can strangle small businesses.