Extinguish

Extinguish is a verb meaning to cause something that is burning to stop burning, or to cause a light or flame to be extinguished. It can also be used metaphorically to mean ending or suppressing something, such as hopes, rumors, or protests. The noun form is extinguishment.

Etymology: from Middle English extinguissen, from Old French extinguer, from Latin extinguere, literally “to quench” (ex- meaning out, tangere to touch). The sense of removing a flame has long informed both literal and figurative uses.

In fire safety, extinguishing a fire involves removing one or more elements of the fire triangle: heat, fuel, or oxygen. Common methods include cooling with water, smothering with foam or dry chemical powders, or displacing oxygen with carbon dioxide. Extinguishing agents are selected based on fire class: water for ordinary combustibles, foam for liquids, dry chemical powders for multiple classes, and CO2 or dry chemical for electrical fires. Some agents also interrupt chemical reactions within the flame.

In legal and financial contexts, extinguish means to terminate or discharge a right, claim, or obligation, such as extinguishing a debt or mortgage by payment, or extinguishing a right by agreement or law.

Figuratively, extinguish can describe the suppression of enthusiasm, a movement, or a spark of interest, often implying a definitive end rather than a temporary pause.