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

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Brown’s lawsuit also accuses the department of ignoring complaints and quashing internal investigations of misconduct by the street-crimes unit. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023 But the special grand jury’s scope and work has drawn criticism, including from defense attorneys for Trump who previously sought to quash any evidence gathered by the panel. Holly Bailey, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Sep. 2023 While the men talk in August 1965, the California Army National Guard warily withdraws from Los Angeles, where 13,400 troops from its armored and infantry divisions have just quashed the Watts Rebellion, which had gotten beyond the control of city police. Matt Thompson, Spin, 10 Sep. 2023 Russia seeks to quash a Ukrainian counteroffensive and prolong the war, while North Korea is extending a record pace of missile tests to protest U.S. moves to reinforce its military alliances with South Korea and Japan. Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2023 McBurney's order comes just days after Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster scheduled a hearing for Aug. 10 on a secondary bid by Trump to disqualify Willis and quash the special grand jury's final report. Tamar Hallerman and Bill Rankin The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), Arkansas Online, 1 Aug. 2023 Though the underlying human rights issues and economic troubles that drove much of the protests persist, the government’s intense crackdown has largely quashed public unrest — and the authorities want to keep it that way. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023 Those plans, however, have been quashed. Sho Club, intended to be a Japanese fine-dining restaurant and hangout in Salesforce Park, is no longer happening, SFGate reported last week. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2023 At the same time, President Biden's offer to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower was quashed by the Supreme Court, even as some other debt-forgiveness and repayment programs are moving forward, which may leave some borrowers unclear on how to proceed. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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Dictionary Entries Near quash

Cite this Entry

“Quash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quash. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

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

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