Adjacent Words

Quench definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

QUENCH, v.t.
1. To extinguish; to put out; as, to quench flame.
2. To still; to quiet; to repress; as, to quench a passion or emotion.
3. To allay or extinguish; as, to quench thirst.
4. To destroy.
5. To check; to stifle; as, to quench the Spirit.
1 Th 5.
QUENCH, v.i. To cool; to become cool.
Dost thou think, in time she will not quench? [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: satisfy (thirst); "The cold water quenched his thirst" [syn: quench, slake, allay, assuage]
2: put out, as of fires, flames, or lights; "Too big to be extinguished at once, the forest fires at best could be contained"; "quench the flames"; "snuff out the candles" [syn: snuff out, blow out, extinguish, quench] [ant: ignite, light]
3: electronics: suppress (sparking) when the current is cut off in an inductive circuit, or suppress (an oscillation or discharge) in a component or device
4: suppress or crush completely; "squelch any sign of dissent"; "quench a rebellion" [syn: squelch, quell, quench]
5: reduce the degree of (luminescence or phosphorescence) in (excited molecules or a material) by adding a suitable substance
6: cool (hot metal) by plunging into cold water or other liquid; "quench steel"

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -cwencan; akin to Old English -cwincan to vanish, Old Frisian quinka Date: 12th century transitive verb 1. a. put out, extinguish b. to put out the light or fire of <quench glowing coals with water> c. to cool (as heated metal) suddenly by immersion (as in oil or water) d. to cause to lose heat or warmth <you have quenched the warmth of France toward you — Alfred Tennyson> 2. a. to bring (something immaterial) to an end typically by satisfying, damping, cooling, or decreasing <a rational understanding of the laws of nature can quench impossible desires — Lucius Garvin> <the praise that quenches all desire to read the book — T. S. Eliot> b. to terminate by or as if by destroying ; eliminate <the Commonwealth party quenched a whole generation of play-acting — Margery Bailey> <quench a rebellion> c. to relieve or satisfy with liquid <quenched his thirst at a wayside spring> intransitive verb 1. to become extinguished ; cool 2. to become calm ; subside • quenchable adjective • quencher noun • quenchless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 satisfy (thirst) by drinking. 2 extinguish (a fire or light etc.). 3 cool, esp. with water (heat, a heated thing). 4 esp. Metallurgy cool (a hot substance) in cold water, air, oil, etc. 5 a stifle or suppress (desire etc.). b Physics & Electronics inhibit or prevent (oscillation, luminescence, etc.) by counteractive means. 6 sl. reduce (an opponent) to silence. Derivatives: quenchable adj. quencher n. quenchless adj. Etymology: ME f. OE -cwencan causative f. -cwincan be extinguished

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quench Quench, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quenched; p. pr. & vb. n. Quenching.] [OE. quenchen, AS. cwencan in [=a]cwencan, to extinguish utterly, causative of cwincan, [=a]cwincan, to decrease, disappear; cf. AS. cw[=i]nan, [=a]cw[=i]nan, to waste or dwindle away.] 1. To extinguish; to overwhelm; to make an end of; -- said of flame and fire, of things burning, and figuratively of sensations and emotions; as, to quench flame; to quench a candle; to quench thirst, love, hate, etc. Ere our blood shall quench that fire. --Shak. The supposition of the lady's death Will quench the wonder of her infamy. --Shak. 2. To cool suddenly, as heated steel, in tempering. Syn: To extinguish; still; stifle; allay; cool; check.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quench Quench, v. i. To become extinguished; to go out; to become calm or cool. [R.] Dost thou think in time She will not quench! --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(quenches, quenching, quenched) If someone who is thirsty quenches their thirst, they lose their thirst by having a drink. He stopped to quench his thirst at a stream. VERB: V n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kwench, kwensh: Where the word is used of fire or of thirst it has the usual meaning: "to allay," "to extinguish," "to suppress," "to cool." In the Old Testament it is frequently applied to the affections and passions (see 2Ki 22:17; So 8:7; Isa 42:3; Jer 4:4; 21:12). Quenching the coal or the light of Israel may mean slaying a dear one or a brilliant leader. In the New Testament it is also used figuratively, as in Eph 6:16 the shield of faith quenches the fiery darts of the evil one. In Mr 9:48, sbennumi, and its derivative are applied with reference to Gehenna (translated "hell"). The same word is also used of resisting the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1Th 5:19.

G. H. Gerberding

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Extinguish, put out. 2. Destroy, still, stifle, repress, check, suppress, put an end to. 3. Allay, shake, cool, extinguish.

Moby Thesaurus

allay, appease, asphyxiate, assuage, blow out, blunt, bottle up, censor, chill, choke, choke off, clamp down on, cool, cork, cork up, crack down on, crush, damp, damp down, dampen, deflect, destroy, deter, disaffect, discourage, disincline, disinterest, distract, divert, douse, drown, extinguish, feast, feed, gag, gratify, hold down, indispose, jump on, keep down, keep under, kill, muzzle, out, overcome, pour water on, put, put down, put off, put out, quash, quell, reduce, regale, repel, repress, sate, satiate, satisfy, shut down on, silence, sit down on, sit on, slack, slake, smash, smother, snuff, snuff out, squash, squelch, stamp out, stanch, stifle, strangle, stultify, subdue, suffocate, suppress, surfeit, throttle, trample out, trample underfoot, turn aside, turn away, turn from, turn off, wean from