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.
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
quelpart,
quelque-chose,
quelquechose,
quemoy,
quena,
quench,
quenching,
quenchless,
queneau,
quenelle,
quentin
Example sentences from the Web for quenching
British Dictionary definitions for quenching
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; 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
Derived forms of quench
quenchable, adjective quencher, noun quenchless, adjectiveWord Origin for quench
Old English
ācwencan to extinguish; related to Old Frisian
quinka to vanish
Medical definitions for quenching
quenching
[ kwĕn′chĭng ]
n.
The process of extinguishing, removing, or diminishing a physical property such as heat or light.
The shifting of the energy spectrum from a true to a lower energy that occurs in liquid scintillation counting of beta emissions; caused by interfering materials in the counting solution, including foreign chemicals.