Meaning

noun joint between the femur and tibia in a quadruped; corresponds to the human knee

verb conceal or hide

verb smother or suppress

originThe verb is derived from Late Middle English stuflen (“to have difficulty breathing due to heat, stifle; to suffocate by drowning, drown”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain. Also found in Middle English forstyflyd (“stifled, choked”, past participle). Perhaps derived from Middle English stuffen (“to kill by suffocation; to stifle from heat; to extinguish, suppress (body heat, breath,…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0