quench
[ kwench ]
/ kwɛntʃ /
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
Words nearby quench
quellung reaction, Quelpart, quelque-chose, Quemoy, quena, quench, quenching, quenchless, Queneau, quenelle, Quentin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for quench
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, adjectiveWord Origin for quench
Old English ācwencan to extinguish; related to Old Frisian quinka to vanish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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