Quenching
/ˈkwɛntʃɪŋ/noun
The act of extinguishing, cooling, or satisfying a thirst or desire.
Did you know?In alchemical and metallurgical language, quenching describes plunging heated material into liquid, a dramatic transformation once associated with fire, metal, and controlled elemental change.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*kwankijaną
“To extinguish or cause something to go out; reconstructed ancestor of the later verb.”
Old English
Old English
cwencan
“To extinguish, quench, or put out.”
Middle English
Middle English
quenchen
“To put out fire, suppress, or cool.”
14th Century
English
quenchen
“To extinguish flames and, figuratively, to suppress desire or emotion.”
Modern English
English
quench
“To extinguish, cool, or satisfy thirst; the present participle is quenching.”
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