I.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.
