Smother Definition

Origin of Smother

• From Middle English smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke", noun)) of Middle English smoren (“to smother"), from Old English smorian (“to smother, suffocate, choke"), from Proto-Germanic *smurōnÄ… (“to suffocate, strangle"). Cognate with Middle Low German smoren, smurten (“to choke, suffocate"), West Flemish smoren (“to smoke, reek"), Dutch smoren (“to suffocate, smother", also "to stew, simmer"), German schmoren (“to stew, simmer, braise").

  From Wiktionary

• From Middle English smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke"), from Old English *smorþor (“smoke", literally “that which suffocates"), from smorian (“to suffocate, choke") + -þor (instrumental suffix).

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English smotheren from smorther dense smoke smolder

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition