autoasphyxiation
|au-to-as-phy-xi-a-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊæsfɪk.siˈeɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊæsfɪk.siˈeɪ.ʃən/
self-induced suffocation
Etymology
'autoasphyxiation' originates from Greek and New Latin/medical formation, specifically the Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and the Greek 'asphyxía' (ἀσφυξία) meaning 'without pulse' or 'suffocation'.
'autoasphyxiation' was formed in modern English by combining the prefix 'auto-' with the medical term 'asphyxiation' (which entered English via Late/Medieval Latin from Greek 'asphyxía'), producing a term used in 20th-century medical and popular contexts.
Initially, related roots described 'lack of pulse' or 'suffocation'; over time the combined modern term has come to denote specifically 'self-induced suffocation', often with connotations of autoerotic practice or suicidal intent.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act of causing asphyxia (deprivation of oxygen) to oneself, often intentionally; commonly used to refer to self-induced suffocation or strangulation sometimes associated with autoerotic behavior or suicide.
Autoasphyxiation is a dangerous practice that can result in accidental death.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/23 17:44