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Origin and history of strangler

strangler(n.)

"one who or that which strangles," 1550s, agent noun from strangle (v.). As a type of plant or tree, by 1895.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to strangler

strangle(v.)

c. 1300, stranglen, "choke, choke to death, cause death by choking," also broadly "kill, slaughter," from Old French estrangler "choke, suffocate, throttle" (Modern French étrangler), from Latin strangulare "to choke, stifle, check, constrain," from Greek strangalaō "to choke, twist," from strangalē "a halter, cord, noose, lace," which is related to strangos "tied together, entangled, twisted," from PIE root *strengh- "tight, narrow; pull tight, twist" (see string (n.)). "The PIE root *strengh- probably meant 'to twist, string', which would have developed into 'to wrench' " [Beekes].

The figurative sense of "suppress, stifle" is from 1610s. The noun, "act or action of strangling," is from 1610s. Related: Strangled; strangling.

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