quash

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈkwäsh

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."

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

See more words from the same century