Wordwyrt

smother

/sˈmʌðə/SMUH-thur
/sˈmʌðɚ/SMUH-thur

Meaningstifle

Common meaning: suffocate or cover completely

Journey through time

  1. Old Englishsmorian‘stifle’sourceB&T
  2. Middle Englishmeaning shiftsstifle → stifling smokesmorther‘stifling smoke’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsstifling smoke → suffocate or cover completelysmother‘suffocate or cover completely’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English smorian ‘stifle’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry SMOTHER, p. 567 · dictionary scan

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app