quench

[ kwench ]

/ kwɛntʃ /

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See synonyms for: quench / quenched / quenches on Thesaurus.com

verb (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.

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Origin of quench

1150–1200; Middle English quenchen, earlier cwenken; compare Old English -cwencan in ācwencan to quench (cf. a-³)

OTHER WORDS FROM quench

quench·a·ble, adjectivequench·a·ble·ness, nounquencher, nounun·quench·a·ble, adjective

un·quenched, adjective

Words nearby quench

quell, Quelpart, quelque-chose, Quemoy, quena, quench, quenchless, Queneau, quenelle, Quentin, quercetin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quench in a sentence

It’s an increasingly precarious resource for the over 40 million people it quenches, which include the cities of San Diego and Los Angeles, as long-term climate change threatens to destabilize the regular snowpack that feeds it.
Who Owns the Tijuana River – and Who Needs Its Water Most|MacKenzie Elmer and Vicente Calderón|January 11, 2021|Voice of San Diego
The British retreated after a huge storm struck the city — perhaps a hurricane or a tornado — quenching the fires.
Political extremists have attacked the U.S. Capitol before: A history of the violence|Gillian Brockell|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
Kosas’s ever so slightly sticky formula is loaded with ultra-moisturizing hyaluronic acid, so it wears tenaciously under a neck tube or mask and leaves lips noticeably more quenched than the average wax stick.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in November|The Editors|December 4, 2020|Outside Online
No one needs to prove to you that a glass of water will quench your thirst, because everyone has experienced that result firsthand.
The founder of wellness startup Mab & Stoke on the growth of ‘pay what you can’ options during the pandemic|Rachel King|September 20, 2020|Fortune

With a good hydration bladder in your pack, you’ll be ready to get outside without worrying about quenching your thirst.
Hydration bladders for outdoor adventures|PopSci Commerce Team|September 1, 2020|Popular-Science
Luckily, ‘Doldo’ from the Second City Network has arrived to quench their thirsts, and have a laugh at their expense.
Amateur Stuntmen, the iPhone 6, and More Viral Videos|Jack Holmes|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her father runs an antique store and frequently sends the girls goods to quench the Berlin vintage drought.
A Hip Haven in Berlin|Molly Hannon|September 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench, he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
One copy was quite able to quench the thirst for "keeping up," and was often read aloud in the intervals between cards.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
"It would be idle," came Wilding's icy voice to quench the gleam of hope kindling anew in Richard's breast.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini
The water that was used to quench the fire being pumped into the river Idria, all the fish died excepting the eels.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878|Various
Somehow this question seemed to quench the teacher of mathematics' good spirits.
Ruth Fielding At College|Alice B. Emerson

British Dictionary definitions for quench

quench

/ (kwɛntʃ) /

verb (tr)

to satisfy (one's thirst, desires, etc); slake

to put out (a fire, flame, etc); extinguish

to put down or quell; suppressto 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

Derived forms of quench

quenchable, adjectivequencher, nounquenchless, adjective

Word Origin for quench

Old English ācwencan to extinguish; related to Old Frisian quinka to vanish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

quench

Origin of quench

OTHER WORDS FROM quench

Words nearby quench

Words related to quench

How to use quench in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quench

Derived forms of quench

Word Origin for quench