stifle: Meaning and Definition of

sti•fle

1. to quell, crush, or end by force: to stifle a revolt; to stifle free expression.
2. to suppress, curb, or withhold: to stifle a yawn.
3. to kill by impeding respiration; smother.

1. to suffer from difficulty in breathing, as in a close atmosphere.
2. to become stifled or suffocated.

sti•fle

1. (in a horse or other quadruped) the joint between the femur and the tibia, corresponding anatomically to the human knee. Also calledSee diag. under