quash

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈkwäsh How to pronounce quash (audio)
ˈkwȯsh
quashed; quashing; quashes

transitive verb

: to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely
quash a rebellion

quash

2 of 2

verb (2)

quashed; quashing; quashes

transitive verb

: to nullify especially by judicial action
quash an indictment

Did you know?

There are two quash verbs in the English language, and although their meanings are similar, they have entirely different origins. Both essentially mean to get rid of something—you can quash a rumor, for example, or you can quash a judicial order. The legal term quash (meaning "to nullify") comes from the Anglo-French words casser or quasser, meaning "to annul," and is ultimately from Latin cassus, "to void." The other quash means "to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely." It derives from the Middle English word quashen, meaning "to smash," and is ultimately from a form of the Latin verb quatere, meaning "to shake."

Examples of quash in a Sentence

Verb (1) the dictator commanded the army to quash the uprising without mercy Verb (2) attorneys asked the court to quash the indictment
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
The Yankees quashed that, trading for Stanton in 2017. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024 At the time, though both actors stayed mum and Foster seemed to try to quash the rumors by adding a family photo to a carousel of snapshots on Instagram showing her, Griffin, and their daughter. Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2024 But the goal of quashing Palestinian national aspirations along with the PLO failed. Ben Wedeman, CNN, 29 Sep. 2024 Burkina Faso’s 2022 coups came amid frustrations over the authorities’ inability to quash recurring jihadist violence, despite intensive French military assistance, which has claimed thousands of lives for almost a decade. Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quash 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English quashen to smash, from Anglo-French quasser, casser, from Latin quassare to shake violently, shatter, frequentative of quatere to shake

Verb (2)

Middle English quassen, from Anglo-French casser, quasser to annul, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void

First Known Use

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quash was in the 13th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near quash

Cite this Entry

“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quash. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

quash

1 of 2 verb
ˈkwäsh How to pronounce quash (audio)
ˈkwȯsh
: to put down completely : quell
quash a rebellion

quash

2 of 2 verb
: to cancel by court action
quash a criminal charge
Etymology

Verb

Middle English quashen "to smash," from early French quasser, casser (same meaning), from Latin quassare "to shake violently, shatter," from quatere "to shake"

Verb

Middle English quashen "to nullify," from early French casser, quasser "to annul," from Latin cassare (same meaning), from earlier Latin cassus "void"

Legal Definition

quash

transitive verb
: to make void : annul sense 2
quash a subpoena
Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French quasser, from Middle French casser, quasser, from Late Latin cassare, from Latin cassus void

More from Merriam-Webster on quash

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!