quash
UK /kwɒʃ/ · US /kwɑʃ/ verb
Forms quashes quashing quashed
- verb To defeat decisively, to suppress. “The army quashed the rebellion.”
- verb (obsolete) To crush or dash to pieces.
- verb (law) To void or suppress (a subpoena, decision, etc.).
Synonyms
repress keep down subdue subjugate reduce invalidate annul void avoid nullify
Etymology
From Middle English quaschen, quasshen, cwessen, quassen, from Old French quasser, from Latin quassāre, under the influence of cassō (“to annul”), from Latin quatiō (“to shake”) Cognate with Dutch kwetsen (“to hurt, injure”), German quetschen (“to crush, squash”), Spanish quejar (“to complain”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Same as Squash.
- verb To abate, annul, overthrow, or make void; as, to quash an indictment. Blackstone.
- verb To beat down, or beat in pieces; to dash forcibly; to crush.
- verb To crush; to subdue; to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely; as, to quash a rebellion.
Etymology [OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. cassare to annihilate, annul, fr. cassus empty, vain, of uncertain origin. The word has been confused with L.quassare to shake, F. casser to break, which is probably of different origin. Cf. Cashier, v. t.]
Etymology [OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. quassare to shake, shatter, shiver, v. intens. fr. quatere, quassum, to shake, shatter. Cf. Concussion, Discuss, Rescue, and also Quash to annul.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “quash”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details