| Noun | 1. | asphyxia - a condition in which insufficient or no oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged on a ventilatory basis; caused by choking or drowning or electric shock or poison gasphysical condition, physiological condition, physiological state - the condition or state of the body or bodily functions hypoxia - oxygen deficiency causing a very strong drive to correct the deficiency hypercapnia, hypercarbia - the physical condition of having the presence of an abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in the circulating blood |