quench
Americanverb (used with object)
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to slake, satisfy, or allay (thirst, desires, passion, etc.).
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to put out or extinguish (fire, flames, etc.).
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to cool suddenly by plunging into a liquid, as in tempering steel by immersion in water.
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to subdue or destroy; overcome; quell.
to quench an uprising.
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Electronics. to terminate (the flow of electrons in a vacuum tube) by application of a voltage.
verb
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to satisfy (one's thirst, desires, etc); slake
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to put out (a fire, flame, etc); extinguish
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to put down or quell; suppress
to quench a rebellion
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to cool (hot metal) by plunging it into cold water
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physics to reduce the degree of (luminescence or phosphorescence) in (excited molecules or a material) by adding a suitable substance
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electronics
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to suppress (sparking) when the current is cut off in an inductive circuit
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to suppress (an oscillation or discharge) in a component or device
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quench
1150–1200; Middle English quenchen, earlier cwenken; compare Old English -cwencan in ācwencan to quench ( cf. a- 3)
Explanation
Quench means to put out, put an end to, or satisfy. If you're stranded in the middle of the desert with nothing to drink, you're probably dreaming of a nice big glass of ice water to quench your thirst. Quench originally meant “extinguish fires.” That meaning still works today, but we've expanded it to also apply to quenching the fiery thirst of a summer marathon runner or quenching the hot flames of passion. If you want to get deep about the word quench, consider what Voltaire said: “Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.”
Vocabulary lists containing quench
Where the Red Fern Grows
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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
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40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
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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.
People are beginning to gather outside the Church of the Icon of Our Lady Quench My Sorrow, in Maryino, where the funeral of Alexei Navalny is due to take place later today.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2024
Quench your thirst for queer joy at this anticipated sequel to Gaytorave featuring a lineup of performers including RAWRDCORE, Minecraft the Band, Adora Blue, Vixel, Frizzle and more.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2023
Quench your thirst with PurAqua's selection of sparkling flavored water.
From Salon • Jul. 20, 2022
Sherman Oaks-based brand Tru Alchemy offers a wide array of skin care products, like its deep hydrating Quench Crème and its white-shiitake-and-licorice-root skin-brightening Glow Serum.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2021
Quench this thirst that burns even more than my hands.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
