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Webster 1913 Edition


Extinguish

Ex-tin′guish

(ĕks-tĭṉ′gwĭsh)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Extinguished
(ĕks-tĭṉ′gwĭsht)
;
p pr. & vb. n.
Extinguishing
.]
[L.
extinguere
,
exstinguere
;
ex
out +
stinguere
to quench. See
Distinguish
,
Finish
.]
1.
To quench; to put out, as a light or fire; to stifle; to cause to die out; to put an end to; to destroy;
as, to
extinguish
a flame, or life, or love, or hope, a pretense or a right
.
A light which the fierce winds have no power to
extinguish
.
Prescott.
This
extinguishes
my right to the reversion.
Blackstone.
2.
To obscure; to eclipse, as by superior splendor.
Natural graces that
extinguish
art.
Shak
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Extinguish

EXTIN'GUISH

,
Verb.
T.
[L. extinguo; ex and stingo, stinguo, or the latter may be a contraction; Gr. to prick, that is, to thrust; or more directly from tingo, to dip, to stain; both probably allied to tango, for tago, to touch.
1.
To put out; to quench; to suffocate; to destroy; as, to extinguish fire or flame.
2.
To destroy; to put an end to; as, to extinguish love or hatred in the breast; to extinguish desire or hope; to extinguish a claim or title.
3.
To cloud or obscure by superior splendor.
4.
To put an end to, by union or consolidation. [See Extinguishment.]

Definition 2024


extinguish

extinguish

English

Verb

extinguish (third-person singular simple present extinguishes, present participle extinguishing, simple past and past participle extinguished)

  1. (transitive) to put out, as in fire; to end burning; to quench
  2. (transitive) to destroy or abolish something
    She extinguished all my hopes.
    • 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575
      The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Diſcharge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extinguiſh the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and conſequently of all the reſt, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be Diſcharged as to one, and ſtand as to all the reſt.
  3. (transitive) to obscure or eclipse something
    The rays of the sun were extinguished by the thunder clouds.
  4. (transitive, psychology) to bring about the extinction of a conditioned reflex
  5. (transitive, literally) to hunt down (a species) to extinction

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

External links

  • extinguish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • extinguish in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911