choker

plural chokers

1. fashionA piece of jewelry or ornamental fabric, worn as a necklace or neckerchief, tight to the throat.

   Anne Talbot looked demurely ravishing, as was her intention, in a very low-cut evening frock of bottle-green, choker of Kelantan silver, earrings in the shape of krises.

   1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 292

   3 more examples

   After half a minute or so there was a shuffle of feet outside. The door was opened, and a head appeared. It was a small head with a tweed cap on the top of it. It had a stringy-looking choker beneath and a dark unshavenness across its face.

   1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 128

   She appears on the 90th anniversary issue of French Vogue wearing nothing but a mask, gloves and a choker – everything but her now iconic gap-toothed pout and impressive cleavage is obscured.

   2010 October 24, Alice Fisher, “Lara Stone: 'I think naughty photoshoots suit my personality'”, in The Observer

   The words: “Take your hands off when I say no, take your eyes off when I say no” were spelled out on video screens as the first model marched past in loose black layers, a punky choker and black shoes.

   2023 September 26, Jess Cartner-Morley, “Dior opens Paris fashion week with feminist sloganeering on the catwalk”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

2. One who, or that which, chokes or strangles.

   The Yorkshire Choker, a serial killer who quotes Shakespeare, is pursued by Dalziel and Pascoe.

   1990, Janet Husband, Jonathan F. Husband, Sequels: An Annotated Guide to Novels in Series, page 199

   Synonyms: strangler

   1. roadA traffic calming device used to narrow a road and produce a chokepoint.

      Synonyms: strangler

3. One who operates the choke of an engine during ignition.
4. slangAny disappointing or upsetting circumstance.

   I lost £100 on the horses today — what a choker!

   Synonyms: bummer, downer, pisser

5. One who performs badly at an important part of a competition because they are nervous, especially when winning.

   The choker tag will always follow the Proteas until we win a trophy — Temba Bavuma

6. A loop of cable fastened around a log to haul it.