Extinguish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɪkˈstɪŋ.É¡wɪʃ/

Origin

From Latin extinguo, past participle extinctus ("to put out (what is burning), quench, extinguish, deprive of life, destory, abolish"), from ex ("out") + stinguere ("to put out, quench, extinguish").

Full definition of extinguish

Verb

1. (transitive) to put out, as in fire; to end burning; to quench
2. (transitive) to destroy or abolish somethingShe extinguished all my hopes.
• 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The DeciÅ¿ions of the Lords of Council & SeÅ¿Å¿ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a DiÅ¿charge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extinguiÅ¿h the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and conÅ¿equently of all the reÅ¿t, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be DiÅ¿charged as to one, and Å¿tand as to all the reÅ¿t.
3. (transitive) to obscure or eclipse somethingThe 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

• put out, quench, douse

Related terms

• extinct
• extinction
• extinguisher
• fire extinguisher