Definitions of choke:

• noun:   a valve that controls the flow of air into the carburetor of a gasoline engine
• noun:   a coil of low resistance and high inductance used in electrical circuits to pass direct current and attenuate alternating current
• verb:   check or slow down the action or effect of

  Example: "She choked her anger"

• verb:   fail to perform adequately due to tension or agitation

  Example: "The team should have won hands down but choked, disappointing the coach and the audience"

• verb:   breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion

  Example: "She choked with emotion when she spoke about her deceased husband"

• verb:   constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing
• verb:   be too tight; rub or press
• verb:   wring the neck of

  Example: "The man choked his opponent"

• verb:   reduce the air supply

  Example: "Choke a carburetor"

• verb:   suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of
• verb:   become stultified, suppressed, or stifled
• verb:   cause to retch or choke
• verb:   struggle for breath; have insufficient oxygen intake
• verb:   impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
• verb:   become or cause to become obstructed
• verb:   die