the act of squeezing someone's neck tightly to prevent breathing, or the compression of something that cuts off its flow or function.
From Latin 'strangulare' meaning to choke, derived from Greek 'strangale' (twisted cord). The meaning expanded from literal choking to any situation where something is being choked off or severely restricted.
Strangulation was once a preferred legal execution method in some countries because people falsely believed it was more humane than other methods—but medical evidence shows it causes extreme suffering. The word reveals how we sometimes try to hide violence behind clinical language.
Intimate partner violence overwhelmingly victimizes women; strangulation is a particularly gendered lethal tactic that predicts future homicide. Language often neutralizes this gendered violence pattern.
When discussing violence, name gendered patterns explicitly. Avoid passive voice that obscures perpetrator and victim relationship.
["asphyxiation by force","intimate partner violence"]
Survivors and advocates have documented how language obscures gendered lethality; naming patterns is part of protection.
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