Definition

Noun: * The act of killing or attempting to kill by squeezing the throat to stop breathing; strangulation. This refers specifically to the action of applying pressure to a person's windpipe (throat) to prevent air from reaching the lungs.

Usage

The word "throttling" is a formal or technical term for the act of strangulation. It describes the action itself, often with a focus on the method of applying constricting force to the neck. * The medical examiner concluded that the cause of death was throttling. * He was charged with attempted murder after the victim survived the throttling.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Legal Context: Commonly used in medical, forensic, and legal contexts to describe a cause of death or a violent assault.
  • The autopsy report listed manual throttling as the mechanism of death.
• Figurative Use (Less Common): Can be used metaphorically to describe the act of suppressing or stifling something completely.
  • The new regulations are seen as a throttling of free speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Throttle (Verb): To strangle or choke someone. Also used in mechanics to mean controlling the fuel flow to an engine.
  • Verb (Strangle): He threatened to throttle him.
  • Verb (Mechanics): She throttled the engine to go faster.
• Strangulation (Noun): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "throttling."
• Choking (Noun): A broader term that can mean obstruction of the windpipe from internal (like food) or external causes.

Synonyms

• Strangulation
• Choking (in the context of external pressure)
• Asphyxiation (by neck compression)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "To throttle back" (Phrasal Verb): This is a different, idiomatic use from mechanics, meaning to reduce speed or intensity. It is not related to the violent act.
  • The company decided to throttle back its expansion plans.

Noun

1. the act of suffocating (someone) by constricting the windpipe
   • no evidence that the choking was done by the accused