suffocation
n. C / U B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌsəfəˈkeɪʃən// UK //sˌʌfəkˈeɪʃən// suf·fo·ca·tion
n. the act of dying or nearly dying because you cannot breathe. It can also mean being trapped in a place where there is no air.
n. the act or process of dying or being deprived of oxygen. Often refers to physical obstruction of the airway or a lack of breathable atmosphere in an enclosed space.
The thick smoke caused a feeling of suffocation.
Firefighters rescued the family from the basement before the rising water caused total suffocation.
The dense fog rolling in from the coast created a sense of suffocation, making it difficult for the hikers to navigate the narrow mountain pass.
Inherited from Middle English suffocation, suffocacioun, from Middle French suffocation, from Latin suffocatio.