extinguishes

Extinguishes is the third-person singular present form of the verb extinguish. Extinguish means to cause something to stop burning or to put out a flame, as when a firefighter extinguishes a fire or a lamp is extinguished. The term also extends to removing an ongoing state or condition, such as extinguishing a fire, extinguishing a claim, or extinguishing someone’s rights or hopes, thereby ending their effect or existence.

Etymology: extinguish originates from the Middle English estinguen, from Old French estinguier, and ultimately from Latin exstinguere, meaning “to quench out,” formed from ex- “out” + stinguere “to quench.” The word has retained its broad sense of stopping or suppressing both physical flames and figurative phenomena.

In practical fire safety usage, extinguishing a fire involves depriving heat, fuel, or an oxidizer, typically using water, foam, dry chemical powders, CO2, or inert gas flooding. Methods include cooling the fuel, separating fuel from the flame, or smothering the fire to remove the oxygen supply. Extinguishing a flame can also refer to actions such as stamping out a cigarette or extinguishing a spark.

In legal and administrative contexts, extinguish describes ending enforceability or existence, such as extinguishing a right, lien, mortgage, or contract, usually through payment, release, termination, or satisfaction of obligations. Figuratively, the term is used to dampen or terminate abstract conditions like hopes, rumors, or enthusiasm.

Common related forms include extinguish, extinguishes, extinguished, and extinguishing. The concept intersects with terms like quench, damp, suppress, and extinguishment, which share the overarching idea of bringing something to an end.

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