The word "smother" is spelled with the letter combination "sm" representing the consonant cluster /sm/. The "o" is pronounced as a short vowel sound /ʌ/, represented in IPA phonetic transcription as /ˈsmʌðər/. The "th" digraph represents the voiceless dental fricative sound /θ/. The final "er" is pronounced as the unstressed syllable with the schwa vowel sound /ə/. Overall, the spelling of "smother" accurately reflects its pronunciation in English.
Smother is a verb that can be used in various contexts with different meanings. One definition of smother is the act of covering something completely or enveloping it in a way that restricts its movement or exposure. This can be applied literally, such as using a blanket to smother a fire, or figuratively, like a parent smothering a child with overly protective care. It implies an action of completely blocking, suppressing, or snuffing out something.
Additionally, smother can also refer to the act of stifling or suffocating someone or something, either physically or emotionally. For instance, in the case of a pillow smothering a person, it suggests an intentional action to cause harm or prevent the individual from breathing. In a figurative sense, it can describe the suppression of ideas, emotions, or creative expression, where one's voice or autonomy is silenced or inhibited by external factors or entities.
Furthermore, smother can have a connotation related to excessive or overwhelming affection or attention. When someone is said to smother another person, it implies an intense, suffocating display of love or care. It suggests an overbearing and controlling behavior that may hinder the recipient's freedom or personal space.
Overall, the term smother encompasses several meanings, ranging from physical covering and suppression to emotional suffocation due to excessive care or attention.
• To extinguish life by causing smoke or dust to enter th lungs, or by depriving the lungs of air; to extinguish fire by excluding air; to suffocate; to choke; to be suffocated; to be suppressed or concealed.
• That which suffocates; smoke; thick dust.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "smother" comes from the Old English verb "smorian", which meant "to suffocate". This Old English word is derived from the Proto-Germanic root "smorjan", which has the same meaning. Furthermore, "smorjan" likely traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root "*smor-", meaning "to smoke" or "to blacken". Over time, the word "smother" evolved to refer more specifically to the act of covering something to deprive it of oxygen or to suppress and extinguish a fire by cutting off the supply of air.