- lack of oxygen in the blood due to restricted respiration; suffocation. If severe enough and prolonged, it causes death
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
as•phyx•i•a /æsˈfɪksiə/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Pathologya dangerous condition involving loss of consciousness or death, caused by lack of oxygen in the blood, such as from suffocation.
as•phyx•i•a
(as fik′sē ə),USA pronunciation n. [Pathol.]
as•phyx′i•al, adj.
- Pathologythe extreme condition caused by lack of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide in the blood, produced by interference with respiration or insufficient oxygen in the air;
suffocation.
- Greek asphyxía a stopping of the pulse, equivalent. to a- a-6 + sphýx(is) pulse + -ia -ia
- Neo-Latin
- 1700–10
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
asphyxia /æsˈfɪksɪə/ n
'asphyxia' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):