quench
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to slake, satisfy, or allay (thirst, desires, passion, etc.).
-
to put out or extinguish (fire, flames, etc.).
-
to cool suddenly by plunging into a liquid, as in tempering steel by immersion in water.
-
to subdue or destroy; overcome; quell.
to quench an uprising.
-
Electronics. to terminate (the flow of electrons in a vacuum tube) by application of a voltage.
verb
-
to satisfy (one's thirst, desires, etc); slake
-
to put out (a fire, flame, etc); extinguish
-
to put down or quell; suppress
to quench a rebellion
-
to cool (hot metal) by plunging it into cold water
-
physics to reduce the degree of (luminescence or phosphorescence) in (excited molecules or a material) by adding a suitable substance
-
electronics
-
to suppress (sparking) when the current is cut off in an inductive circuit
-
to suppress (an oscillation or discharge) in a component or device
-
Other Word Forms
- quenchable adjective
- quenchableness noun
- quencher noun
- quenchless adjective
- unquenchable adjective
- unquenched adjective
Etymology
Origin of quench
1150–1200; Middle English quenchen, earlier cwenken; compare Old English -cwencan in ācwencan to quench ( a- 3 )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At last it was free of the terrible pain that had stilled its roar and quenched its fire for so many days.
From Literature
They are used to quenching their thirst with snow, but with little or no snowfall, they can easily get dehydrated.
From Barron's
The sun was blistering and there didn’t seem to be enough water in the world to quench my thirst.
From Literature
I should have asked more questions, but an overwhelming sense of contentment seemed to have extinguished them, like a cool drink quenching thirst.
From Literature
They guzzled the drinks down, quenching their ragged throats.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
