Forms: 4 stuf(f)le, 5–6 stifil, 6 styfel, stiefle, stiffel, 6–7 styfle, stifel, 6–8, 9 dial. stiffle, 6– stifle. [of obscure origin.
The early forms stufle, stuffle suggest connection of some kind with OF. estouffer to stifle, smother. Cf. also STIFE, and the early forms of STEW v.2 The view that the word is from ON. stífla to dam up (water) appears untenable on the ground both of form and sense.]
1. trans. To kill by stopping respiration; to kill or deprive of consciousness (a person or animal) by covering the mouth and nose, by depriving of pure air or by introducing an irrespirable vapor into the throat and lungs; to suffocate. † Also with up.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 68/2. So … keping down by force the … pillowes hard vnto their mouthes, that within a while smored and stifled, theyr breath failing, thei gaue vp to god their innocent soules.
1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI. (1550), 69 b. Other write, that he was stiffeled or smoldered betwene twoo fetherbeddes.
1570. Levins, Manip., 127/35. To stifil, suffocare.
1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., 65. There is no covering to defend the sunne, whereon with the same only men are stiffeled up. [Marg.] Men stifled with the Sunne onely.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. iii. 33. Shall I not then be stified in the Vault?
1665. Phil. Trans., I. 44. Fearing to be stifled by the bad Air.
1707. Mortimer, Husb. (1721), I. 326. You may smoke or stifle them [wasps] if they are in a hollow Tree.
1756. Gray, Lett., Poems (1775), 245. A dirty inconvenient lodging, where, perhaps, my nurse might stifle me with a pillow.
1834. Croker, in C. Papers (1884), 11 June. One poor little boy … was nearly stifled.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. App. 741. For fear of a tumult the King has Eadric at once stifled to death.
b. In hyperbolic or exaggerated use. Sometimes = to affect with difficulty of breathing, produce a choking sensation in.
c. 1400. Brut, 138. Þere was grete hete … þat al stuffled himself was, & felle into a grete sikenesse.
1585. Greene, Planetomachia, II. C 3. The Caspians fearinge to bee stiffled with sweet sauors, weare in their bosomes buds of Hemlock.
1592. Arden of Feversham, IV. ii. 35. I am almost stifled with this fog.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., IV. i. 58. I am stifled With the meere ranknesse of their ioy.
1625. in Foster, Eng. Factories Ind. (1909), III. 56. To pack and stiffle us togeather into close and aireles, unholsom corners.
1767. Woman of Fashion, I. 41. Bundled up in a green Cloth Joseph, enough to stifle the poor Child in this warm Weather.
1824. Miss L. M. Hawkins, Annaline, I. 87. They … found the Baronet nearly stifled with laughing.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ireland, ii. 23. He almost stifled her with caresses.
c. absol.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 313. But prayer against his absolute Decree No more availes then breath against the winde, Blown stifling back on him that breaths it forth.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 613. A breathless burthen of low-folded heavens Stifled and chill’d at once.
d. fig.
1579. Lyly, Euphues, Wks. (Bond), I. 248. When loue tickleth thee decline it lest it stiffle thee.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. xi. 398. The Anabaptists in like manner stifle Gods Church by crowding it into their corner.
1878. B. Taylor, Deukalion, II. iv. 79. Breathing high thoughts unconsciously as air; Without them stifled!
† 2. To choke by compressing the windpipe; to strangle, throttle. Obs.
1548. Elyot’s Dict., Oblido,… to styfle, to kyll.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. vii. [Him] they condemned to be hanged & stifled vpon the maste of the gallie.
† b. ? To numb (a limb of the body) by arresting the circulation. Obs.
1548. [see STIFLING vbl. sb.1].
1632. Lithgow, Trav., V. 205. I would often fetch a walke, to stretch my legs, that were stifled with a stumbling beast.
† c. To cause stricture or strangulation in (a part). Obs.
1578. [see STIFLING vbl. sb.1].
† d. To choke, crush the life out of (a plant). Obs.
1530. Tindale, Pract. Prelates, C viij b. [The ivy] waxeth greate … and sucketh the moystoure so sore out of the tre and his braunches, that it choketh and stifleth them.
† 3. To soffocate by immersion; to drown. Also to choke by pouring water down the throat. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VI. 449. A monke … fil doun of a brigge into a water, and was i-stufled [v.r. y-stoffed; L. suffocatus est].
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Mark v. 13. The heard … were stifled in the sea.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXX. iv. II. 377. The hony wherein a number of bees were stifled and killed.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 509. There are other kind of moustraps which do ketch mice aliue: and othersome which do kil them, either being … stifeld with water, or otherwise.
1624. Relat. Cruel Proc. Amboyna, 11. Being a little recouered, they … poured in the water as before, eftsoones taking him downe as he seemed to be stifled.
1705. trans. Bosman’s Guinea, 346. She despairing threw her self into a deep Well, in which she was stifled.
4. To stop the passage of (the breath); to suppress, prevent the emission of, choke in the utterance (the voice, a cry, sob, cough, etc.). Also poet. with up. Also in figurative context.
c. 1495. Epit. Dk. Bedford, in Skelton’s Wks. (1843), II. 391. Dredeful Deth … Ful dolorously his breth hath stifild.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., III. v. Then stifling a sigh or two,… you aduance your selfe forward.
1601. Marston, etc., Jack Drum’s Entert., I. A 4 b. I was not borne … To choake and stifle vp my pleasures breath.
1665. Howard, Ind. Queen, V. i. Name thy bold Love no more, lest that last Breath Which shou’d forgive, I stifle with my Death.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 158, ¶ 4. As if she would if possible stifle her Laughter.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ., II. Case of Delicacy, I did not attempt to stifle my cough.
a. 1770. Jortin, Serm. (1771), II. iii. 47. Men … take pains to … stifle the reproofs of their conscience.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, I. xviii. Cadurcis tried to stifle a sob.
1868. Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. xl. 344. His last cry, ere the flames stifled his voice.
1885. Manch. Exam., 12 Sept., 5/2. He attempted to raise an alarm, but they stifled his cries.
1902. J. Buchan, Watcher by Threshold, 250. Stifling the voice of conscience.
† b. To repress, keep back, check the flow of (tears).
c. 1677. Sir P. Warwick, Mem. Chas. I. (1701), 326. I never saw him shed tears but once,… but he recollected himselfe, and soon stifled them.
1797. Mrs. Inchbald, Wives as they were, I. i. 20. They’ll suppose I have been more indiscreet [stifling her tears] than I really have.
c. To make mute or inaudible through intervening space or obstructing medium.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Charmed Sea, i. 4. Our voices were stifled in space.
1867. Morris, Jason, III. 247. The man whose shout the close Nemean trees Had stifled.
1891. Kipling, Light that Failed, v. 83. The fog … stifled the roar of the traffic of London beyond the railings.
5. In various figurative uses. a. To suppress, smother, keep from manifestation, expression, or activity (a feeling, passion, internal faculty, etc.).
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 428. Their former piety was after a manner stifled.
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., 26. It is an usual device amongst their writers to stifle their reason.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xlviii. V. 26. In the mind of Irene, ambition had stifled every sentiment of humanity.
1849–50. Alison, Hist. Europe, li. § 52. VIII. 280. The discontent of Melzi … was stifled by the title of Duke of Lodi.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., xv. 258. The higher mind in us is stifled and gives way to the lower.
b. To destroy, crush, suppress, deprive of vitality, prevent the working or spreading of (a movement, activity, measure, etc.); † to silence (a person, objection).
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords (Camden), 102. The proviso for the prynters styfles the proviso for corporacions.
1668. R. Steele, Husbandm. Calling, v. (1672), 76. Let not your faith stifle your industry.
1693. J. Edwards, Author. O. & N. Test., 410. I will stifle this cavelling Objection.
1705. Lond. Gaz., No. 4168/2. This Insurrection was stifled in its very beginning.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., 2 April (1815), 7. As it was my duty to stifle this correspondence in its birth.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. xii. 671. It was a prolonged and systematic attempt to stifle all enquiry and punish all inquirers.
a. 1873. Deutsch, Lit. Rem. (1874), 172. The Koran for a time seemed to stifle all literature.
1884. L’pool Mercury, 22 Oct., 5/3. This … is the very way to stifle all efforts to help either the cathedral or the ‘diocesan institutions.’
c. To conceal, keep from becoming known, withhold from circulation or currency, suppress (a fact, report, truth, etc.; a document, letter).
1577. Stanyhurst, Descr. Irel., vii. 26 b/2, in Holinshed. When hys [sc. Plunket’s] workes shall take the ayre, that now … are wrongfully emprisoned, and in maner stiefled in shadowed cowches.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacræ, II. v. § 2. The other rank of those which were left to Gods hand consisted of these. 1. He that stifles and smothers his own prophecy, as Jonas did.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., II. 103. When complaints are brought to Court against any Chan, he lets them come to the King’s Ear if the Chan be his Enemy, or stiffles them if the Chan be his friend.
1700. Congreve, Way of World, V. ii. We stifl’d the Letter before she read so far.
1712. Hearne, Collect. (O.H.S.), III. 383. That Dr. Mill made a Will, and that Langhorn, or some body else, stifled it.
1788. Franklin, Autobiog., Wks. 1840, I. 209. The papers, he thought of too much value to be stifled, and advised the printing of them.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xv. The rumour may stifle the truth for a short time.
d. To cover up so as to conceal from view or prevent display. poet.
1820. Keats, Hyperion, I. 245. The shady visions come to domineer, Insult, and blind, and stifle up my pomp.
6. To smother or extinguish (a flame).
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. v. I might easily have stifled it [the flame] with my coat.
1851. Hazlitt, trans. Huc’s Tartary (1852), II. 129. All the travellers, armed with felt carpets, were endeavouring to stifle the flame.
1895. ‘G. Mortimer,’ Tales West. Moors, 260. The smoke is choking and pungent, as it jets out through the damp, black earth that ‘stiffles,’ or stifles, the flames.
† b. To extinguish or quench (a physical quality).
1725. Bradley’s Family Dict., s.v. Salt, The Salt made White in this manner is not so salt as the Grey, because the Fire has stifled many of its Points.
† 7. To choke up, impede the flow of (running water); to obstruct the passage of, absorb, quench (rays of light). Obs.
1629. H. C., Disc. Drain. Fens, B 4. The riuers [being] stifled with weedes for want of a current.
1704. Newton, Optics, I. II. x. (1721), 161. They [coloured bodies] stop and stifle in themselves the Rays which they do not reflect or transmit.
1785. Imison, Sch. Arts (1790), I. 194. Its back part is black, to stifle the rays that are reflected upon it.
1794. Herschel, in Phil. Trans., LXXXV. 54. I found, that by stifling a great part of the solar rays, my object speculum would bear a greater aperture.
† 8. To choke up (an orifice). Obs. rare–1.
1631. Shirley, Traitor, III. i. (1635), E 2. Make fast the Chamber-doore, stiffle the keyhole and the crannies, I must discourse of secret matters.
† 9. To slip (money) secretly or surreptitiously in (a person’s hand). (? A jocular or cant use.) Obs.
1604. Middleton, Ant & Night., D 2. With that they stifeled two or three Angels in the lawyers right hand.
10. intr. To be or become suffocated; to perish by stoppage of breath. In weaker sense: To feel in danger of suffocation, to feel almost unable to breathe.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 363. We cary about vs infinite causes and meanes, whereby we are euery houre in danger of stifling, and as it were of drowning.
1847. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, xv. I was just beginning to stifle with the fumes of conservatory flowers and sprinkled essences.
1857. J. Hamilton, Less. from Gt. Biogr., 314. To feel the breath stifling and the heart-strings breaking.
1902. Westm. Gaz. 26 March, 2/1. Others cannot remain in an atmosphere that is not constantly replenished with fresh oxygen; they stifle.
† b. fig. Of a person or an immaterial thing.
1588. T. Hughes, Arthur, I. i. 14. What though … the shame thou suffredst for his lusts, Reboundeth backe, and stifeleth in his stocke?
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., II. iv. 158. My vnsoild Name [etc.] Will so your accusation ouer-weigh, That you shall stifle in your owne report.
