quash

[kwosh] /kwɒʃ/

verb (used with object)

to put down or suppress completely; quell; subdue:

to quash a rebellion.

to make void, annul, or set aside (a law, indictment, decision, etc.).

Origin

1300-50; Middle English quashen to smash, break, overcome, suppress < Old French quasser, in part < Latin quassāre to shake (frequentative of quatere to shake; cf. concussion); in part < Late Latin cassāre to annul, derivative of Latin cassus empty, void

Related forms

unquashed, adjective

Synonyms

1. crush, squash, quench, repress.

Examples from the web for quash

And that's one of the levers they are using to quash reform.
Security companies, cellular operators and phone makers are moving to quash these threats before they spiral out of control.
He quickly backed down, but that did not quash discontent.
The point is that a public university is supposed to nurture free speech and free thought, not quash them.
So the imposition of price caps in a given country will not necessarily quash innovation there, thanks to the lure of exports.
Latter ruling family is also moving to quash opposition.
The refugees fear that the government wants them repatriated so it can quash all evidence of the killings.
The regime, in its bloodthirsty fashion, has upped its firepower to quash opponents with weaponry they cannot match.
Firefighters race to quash wildfire before winds whip up.
It takes more than mere shock or disgust to quash my native desire to express my opinion, no matter how ill-advised or uninformed.

British Dictionary definitions for quash

quash

/kwɒʃ/

verb (transitive)

to subdue forcefully and completely; put down; suppress

to annul or make void (a law, decision, etc)

to reject (an indictment, writ, etc) as invalid

Word Origin

C14: from Old French quasser, from Latin quassāre to shake

Word Origin and History for quash

"to make void, annul," early 14c., from Old French quasser, casser "to annul, declare void," and directly from Medieval Latin quassare, alteration of Late Latin cassare, from cassus "null, void, empty" (see caste (n.)).

Meaning "to break, crush," is early 14c., from Old French quasser, casser "to break, smash, injure, harm, weaken," from Latin quassare "to shatter," frequentative of quatere (past participle quassus) "to shake," from PIE root *kwet- "to shake" (cf. Greek passein "to sprinkle," Lithuanian kuteti "to shake up," Old Saxon skuddian "to move violently," German schütteln "to shake," Old English scudan "to hasten").

The words have influenced each other in form and sense since Medieval Latin and now are somewhat grown together. Related: Quashed; quashing.