Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Inducing or tending to induce asphyxia.
- noun A substance, such as a toxic gas, or an event, such as drowning, that induces asphyxia.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Any poisonous chemical substance which produces asphyxia.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective That can cause
asphyxiation - noun Any substance that can cause
asphyxia
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Although argon is non-toxic, it does not satisfy the body's need for oxygen and is thus an asphyxiant.
Argon 2009
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An unusual application is as an asphyxiant in the poultry industry, either for mass culling following disease outbreaks, or as a means of slaughter more humane than the electric bath.
Argon 2009
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I guess there is more than one way for methane to become an asphyxiant.
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Toxicologically, methane is classified as a simple asphyxiant.
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Unlike commonly used asphyxiant remedies, scanning electron microscopy appears to indicate that benzyl alcohol lotion effectively asphyxiates lice by "stunning" the spiracles open, allowing the lotion, comprised of mineral oil and other inactive ingredients, to infiltrate the "honeycomb" respiratory apparatus and kill lice.
PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010
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However, when methane is present at high concentrations, it acts as an asphyxiant.
OpEdNews 2010
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It is a simple asphyxiant in significant concentrations, and it does that by definition of asphyxiation.
Watts Up With That? Anthony Watts 2010
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The gas is also an asphyxiant that can reduce the oxygen in the air, causing suffocation.
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Then you must keep it under pressure and hope that it doesn't migrate through cracks in the earth, create pools of an invisible, odorless asphyxiant, trigger earthquakes, or damage freshwater drinking supplies.
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Then you must keep it under pressure and hope that it doesn't migrate through cracks in the earth, create pools of an invisible, odorless asphyxiant, trigger earthquakes, or damage freshwater drinking supplies.
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