Strangler

Strangler is a term used to describe a person who constricts another’s neck, causing asphyxia, or the act of constricting itself. Strangulation can be achieved by manual pressure with the hands or forearms, by a ligature such as rope or wire, or by the weight of an object compressing the throat. The practice is distinguished from suffocation in that the airway is impeded primarily by external compression rather than by obstruction of air within the lungs.

In criminal law, strangulation and related acts are treated as serious offenses and can constitute homicide or attempted homicide, depending on jurisdiction and circumstances. The precise legal definitions, charges, and penalties vary by country and region, but strangulation is generally recognized as a high-risk method associated with severe harm or death.

Strangler figs refer to a group of species within the genus Ficus that have a distinctive ecological strategy. These trees begin life as seeds deposited on a host tree, grow aerial roots downward toward the ground and upward through the canopy, and gradually envelop the host. Over time the roots may girdle the host and compete for light and nutrients. Often the host dies, leaving a hollow framework of the fig’s lifelike trunk and an independent fig tree growing from it. Strangler figs are notable in tropical ecosystems for their impact on forest structure and dynamics.

The term also appears in culture and media as a nickname for criminals who employ strangulation, the most famous being the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo, who operated in the 1960s. In fiction, “strangler” is used to describe characters who use this method.