1. (

• strangle ,
• strangulate ,
• throttle

) kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air; "he tried to strangulate his opponent"; "A man in Boston has been strangling several dozen prostitutes" ;

2. (

• strangulate ,

) constrict a hollow organ or vessel so as to stop the flow of blood or air ;

3. (

• strangulate

) become constricted; "The hernia will strangulate" ;