All 3 Uses of
stifle
in
Lord of the Flies
- The disc of the sun was dull silver as though it were nearer and not so hot, yet the air stifled.
p. 131.9 *stifled = made breathing difficult
- "After the feast," said Sam in a stifled voice.
p. 158.6stifled = suppressed (restricted in volume)
- A stick snapped and he stifled a cough.
p. 195.0 *stifled = suppressed (stopped)
Definitions:
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(1)
(stifle as in: stifling the urge) to suppress (prevent something or decrease its development) -- often political freedom
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(2)
(stifle as in: the heat is stifling) to make breathing difficult or impossible -- often from heat or humidity
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely, to stifle is used in the context of anatomy to refer to a four-legged animal's equivalent of the human knee (the joint between the upper and lower leg).