This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
quench
[ kwench ]
/ kwɛntʃ /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
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
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
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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012