quench

• Verbe utilisé pour désigner l'action d'étancher la soif ou d'éteindre un feu ou une flamme.

A verb used to indicate the act of satisfying a thirst or extinguishing a fire or flame.

1. Satisfy thirstB1formal

   To relieve or satisfy a strong desire for liquid, especially water.

   Étancher la soif

   • She quenched her thirst with a glass of cold water.
   • After the long hike, they quenched their thirst with lemonade.
   • Nothing quenches thirst like a cool drink on a hot day.

   Synonymesassuagerelievesatesatiatesatisfyslake

   Antonymesdehydratedryparch

2. Extinguish fireB2formal

   To put out a fire, flame, or light.

   Éteindre un feu

   • The firefighters quenched the blaze within minutes.
   • He used a bucket of sand to quench the campfire.
   • The rain helped quench the forest fire.

   Synonymesdouseextinguishput outsmothersnuff out

   Antonymesignitekindlelight

3. Suppress electrical sparkingC2formaltechnical

   To suppress sparking when the current is cut off in an inductive circuit, or to suppress an oscillation or discharge in a component or device.

   Supprimer l'étincelage

   • The circuit uses a capacitor to quench the spark.
   • Engineers designed a special device to quench the oscillation.
   • The technician adjusted the system to quench the discharge.

   Synonymesdampdampenextinguishsnubsuppress

4. Suppress or crush completelyC1formal

   To completely suppress or destroy something, such as a feeling, rebellion, or activity.

   Réprimer, étouffer

   • The dictator's army quenched the rebellion with force.
   • She tried to quench her anger before speaking.
   • The new policy quenched any hope of reform.

   Synonymescrushextinguishput downquellsquelchstiflesubduesuppress

   Antonymesarouseencouragefosterigniteincitekindleprovokestimulate

5. Reduce luminescenceC2formalscientific

   To reduce the degree of luminescence or phosphorescence in excited molecules or a material by adding a suitable substance.

   Éteindre (luminescence)

   • The chemist added a substance to quench the phosphorescence.
   • This compound is used to quench the fluorescence in the sample.
   • The experiment required a material to quench the excited molecules.

   Synonymesdampendimextinguishreducesuppress

6. C1formaltechnical

   To cool hot metal by plunging it into cold water or other liquid.

   tremper (un métal)

   • The blacksmith quenched the red-hot sword in a barrel of water.
   • Steel is often quenched to increase its hardness.
   • The metal was quenched in oil to achieve the desired properties.