smother

present singular third person smothers · participle present smothering · participle past smothered · past smothered · alternative obsolete smoother

1. transitiveTo suffocate; stifle; obstruct, more or less completely, the respiration of something or someone.

   He smothered her by pressing his hand over her mouth.

   3 more examples

   But I am Pestilence;—hither and thither I flit about, that I may slay and smother;— All lips which I have kissed must surely wither, But Death’s—if thou art he, we’ll go to work together!

   1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 280

   […] he dashes to his destination at such a speed that when he stops the horse half smothers him in a cloud of steam. "Unbear him half a moment to freshen him up, and I'll be back."

   1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC

   The awfulest thing was the silence; there wasn't a sound but the screaking of the saddles, the measured tramplings, and the sneezing of the horses, afflicted by the smothering dust-clouds which they kicked up.

   1895 October, Louis de Conte, translated by [Jean François Alden] [pseudonyms; Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)], “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc. […]”, in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, volume XCI, number DXLV, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →ISSN, [book I], part II, chapter XVI, page 746, column 1

   Synonyms: suffocate, choke, stifle · Antonyms: ventilate

2. transitiveTo extinguish or deaden, as fire, by covering, overlaying, or otherwise excluding the air.

   to smother a fire with ashes

3. transitiveTo reduce to a low degree of vigor or activity; suppress or do away with; extinguish

   The committee's report was smothered.

   Synonyms: stifle, cover up, conceal, hide · Antonyms: release

4. transitivecookingTo cook in a close dish.

   beefsteak smothered with onions

5. transitiveTo daub or smear.

   And I keep quite a lot of it around, especially chocolate-covered almonds and Trader Joes minipretzels smothered in dark chocolate.

   2007 October 30, Jane E. Brody, “My Diet Strategy? Controlled Indulgence”, in The New York Times

6. intransitiveTo be suffocated.

   She is smothered by the rope.

   Synonyms: choke, stifle

7. intransitiveTo breathe with great difficulty by reason of smoke, dust, close covering or wrapping, or the like.
8. intransitiveto burn very slowly for want of air; smolder.
9. figurativelyintransitiveto perish, grow feeble, or decline, by suppression or concealment; be stifled; be suppressed or concealed.
10. ball gamesTo get in the way of a kick of the ball.

    Emmanuel Adebayor's touch proved a fraction heavy as he guided Van der Vaart's exquisite long ball round John Ruddy, before the goalkeeper did well to smother Bale's shot from Modric's weighted pass.

    2011 December 27, Mike Henson, “Norwich 0 - 2 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport

11. Australian rules footballTo get in the way of a kick of the ball, preventing it going very far. When a player is kicking the ball, an opponent who is close enough will reach out with his hands and arms to get over the top of it, so the ball hits his hands after leaving the kicker's boot, dribbling away.
12. boxingTo prevent the development of an opponent's attack by one's arm positioning.

plural smothers · alternative obsolete smoother

1. That which smothers or appears to smother, particularly
   1. countableuncountableSmoldering; slow combustion.
   2. countableuncountableCookware used in such cooking.

      Thus must I from the smoke into the smother […]

      c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 404

   3. countabledateduncountableThe state of being stifled; suppression.

      not to keep their suspicions in smother

      1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Suspicion”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

   4. countabledateduncountableStifling smoke; thick dust.

      Thus must I from the smoke into the smother, / From tyrant duke unto tyrant brother.

      c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], lines 239-40

      1 more example

      Then we passed the Grand Opéra, at which our fine taste revolted; the Rue de la Paix, all in a smother with the dust caused by its improvement, at which our eyes naturally distilled water; […]

      1868, Judy, volumes 3-4, page 20

   5. countableuncountableAustralian rules footballThe act of smothering a kick (see verb section).