Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CHOKE, v.t. [Sax. aceocan. In Arm. coucq or goucq, is the neck, with which choke may be connected, in the sense of narrowness or compression. The sense of choke is to stuff, thrust down or stop; or to compress, or bind tight. (The Sp. ahogar is the Port. afogar, L. suffoco.) It is probably allied to the Sp. cegar, to shut, L. cæcus, Eng. key, Sax. cæg.]

1. To stop the passage of the breath, by filling the windpipe or compressing the neck. The word is used to express a temporary or partial stoppage, as to choke with dirt or smoke; or an entire stoppage that causes death; to suffocate; to strangle. Mark v.
2. To stop by filling; to obstruct; to block up; as, to choke the entrance of a harbor, or any passage.
3. To hinder by obstruction or impediments; to hinder or check growth, expansion, or progress; as, to choke plants; to choke the spreading of the fruit. – Bacon. Thorns choke them. – Matth. xiii. Luke viii.
4. To smother or suffocate, as fire. – Dryden.
5. To suppress or stifle; as, to choke the strong conception. – Shak.
6. To offend; to cause to take an exception; as, I was choked at this word. – Swift. We observe that this word generally implies crowding, stuffing or covering. A channel is choked by stones and sand, but not by a boom.