strangŭlo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., = στραγγαλάω (cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 96 Müll.), to throttle, choke; and, in gen., to stifle, suffocate, strangle (syn. suffoco).
I Lit. (class.): Domitium strangulavit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15 fin. : strangulata laqueo, Tac. A. 6, 25: strangulatus in carcere, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 8; Flor. 4, 1, 10: venena quae strangulando necant, Plin. 20, 7, 26, § 63: obesi difficultate spirandi strangulantur, Cels. 2, 1 fin. : piro strangulatus, Suet. Claud. 27: strangulatae in oleo ranae, Plin. 32, 10, 38, § 114: cuniculos vapore, id. 33, 4, 21, § 71: ne nimio sanguine stranguletur pecus, Col. 6, 38, 4; Cels. 4, 4: volvam strangulati, Plin. 22, 13, 15, § 32: sinus (togae) nec strangulet nec fluat, too closely drawn together , Quint. 11, 3, 140.—In an obscene double sense: si dicimus, Ille patrem strangulavit, honorem non praefamur. Sin de Aureliā aliquid aut Lolliā, honos praefandus est, * Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 4. —
2 Transf., of things: hedera arbores sugit et strangulat, chokes , i. e. kills , makes unfruitful , Plin. 16, 34, 62, § 152: truncum, Col. 4, 26, 2: sata, Quint. 8, prooem. § 23: solum, Plin. 17, 8, 4, § 46: fauces tumentes strangulant vocem, choke , stifle , constrain , Quint. 11, 3, 20; so, sonitum, Plin. 2, 43, 43, § 113.—Poet.: non tibi sepositas infelix strangulat arca Divitias, i. e. contains , Stat. S. 2, 2, 150.—
II Trop., to torment , torture (poet. and in post-class. prose): strangulat inclusus dolor atque exaestuat intus, Ov. Tr. 5, 1, 63: voluptates in hoc nos amplectuntur, ut strangulent, Sen. Ep. 51, 13: plures nimiā congesta pecunia curā Strangulat, Juv. 10, 12: venditor omnes causas, quibus strangulatur, exponat, i. e. is forced to the sale , Cod. Th. 12, 3, 1.