▪ I. quash, n.1 rare.
A squash or pumpkin.
| 1687 Miege Grt. Fr. Dict. ii. Quash. See Pompion. 1736 Ainsworth Lat. Dict., A quash, or pompion, pepo. [Hence in Johnson and later Dicts.] 1823 T. Roughley Jamaica Planter's Guide 74 The Indian kale, ochro, quash, peppers, akys, and a variety of pulse, being natural to the climate. |
▪ II. quash, n.2 rare—1.
[Cf. wash.]
? A stretch of shallow water.
| 1790 Beatson Nav. & Mil. Mem. I. 69 From the report made by those who sounded the quash opposite the town..there was not found water sufficient to enable them to undertake the enterprize. |
▪ III. quash, v.
(kwɒʃ)
Forms: 4–5 quasse, (5 qwas-), 4 quasche, 5 qv-, quaschyn, quassh-, quaysch-, 6– quash.
[In branch I, ad. OF. quasser = casser to annul, ad. late L. cassāre (med.L. also quassāre), f. cassus null, void; in branch II, ad. OF. quasser, casser to break, smash, etc.:—L. quassāre, freq. of quatĕre to shake. In later F. the form in all senses is casser. Senses 2 and 3 may be partly derived from 4, and the later examples in 5 may be partly of onomatopœic origin. Cf. squash v.]
I. 1. trans. To annul, to make null or void (a law, decision, election, etc.); to throw out or reject (a writ, indictment, etc.) as invalid; to put an end to, stop completely (legal proceedings). † Also with down.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 209 Þe pape at his dome þer Elites quassed doun. Ibid. 217 Þe purueiance..He quassed it ilk dele þorgh jugement. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. lxxvi. (1869) 44 Michel it displeseth hire that ye quassen thus hire ordinaunces. 1589 Warner Alb. Eng. vi. xxx. (1612) 151 Phœbus his plainte did quash. 1671 F. Phillips Reg. Necess. 521 All the then Judges did agree, that if a Writ of that Form should be brought unto them..they would immediately quash it. 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 303 Praying ‘judgment of the writ, or declaration, and that the same may be quashed’, cassetur, made void, or abated. 1829 Scott Demonol. ix. 335 The Lord Advocate..quashed all farther procedure. 1882 W. Ballantine Exper. iv. 43 My clients were completely exonerated and the conviction was quashed. |
b. Used adverbially with go (suggesting sense 4).
| 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) IV. 406 Down comes the money, quash goes the conviction, like a snail under our feet. |
2. To bring to nothing; to crush or destroy; to put down or suppress completely; to stifle (esp. a feeling, idea, scheme, undertaking, proceeding, etc.). Also with down.
| 1609 Bible (Douay) Ecclus. vi. 2 Extol not thyself..lest perhaps thy strength be quashed. 1646 P. Bulkeley Gospel Covt. v. 366 Balaam had faire hopes before him..but all was quasht in a moment. 1717 Tabor in Phil. Trans. XXX. 552 When the Ground about the Pavement was dug, all these Suppositions were quash'd. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1862) I. 34 The sound seemed at last quashed in a bed of water. 1834 Pringle Afr. Sk. 316 Every such attempt had heretofore been..quashed by the..authorities. 1857 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 313, I wanted to scream, but the physical weariness had quashed down that nonsense. 1879 Froude Cæsar xviii. 305 The preparations for the election were quashed. |
3. To crush, quell, or utterly subdue (a person); to squash. Now rare.
| 1639 G. Daniel Ecclus. xxxv. 50 His Arme Shall Quash the Cruell, and prevent their harme. 1643 J. Burroughes Exp. Hosea I. v. 128 They did not stay the building of the wall of Jerusalem, till all their adversaries were quashed. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) II. vii. ii. 168 This..resolution..would in all probability have quashed their enemies. 1876 Blackie Songs Relig. & Life 182 When, by Logic's iron rule, I've quashed each briskly babbling fool. |
II. † 4. To break or dash in pieces; to smash; also, to crush, squeeze, squash. Obs.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV 439 Þanne þe secounde wal was i-quasched [v.r. yquaysched]. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 3389 Abowte scho whirles the whele..Tille alle my qwarters..ware qwaste al to peces. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 310/2 A mightie stone..able to haue quashed him in peeces. 1608 Topsell Serpents (1658) 628 Then, shepheard, take both stone in hand, and blade, To quash his swelling neck. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 12 The Fathers and Mothers never faile to quash, or flat down that part of the face which is between the eyes and mouth. 1750 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandm. IV. iii. 85 (E.D.S.) [Boys] rejoice when they find a nest of eggs to quash with their feet. |
† b. To dash or smash on or against something.
| 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Luke ix. 99 The eiuill spirit that was in hym tooke hym, quashyng the chylde on the grounde. 1620 Wilkinson Coroners & Sherifes 19 A man falleth from his horse and quasheth his head against a blocke. c 1645 Waller Batt. Summer-Isl. ii. 25 The whales Against sharp rocks, like reeling vessels quash'd..are in pieces dash'd. |
† 5. intr. To shake; to splash, to make a splashing noise. Obs.
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 64 The erthe quook and quashte as hit quyke were. 1691 Ray Creation ii. (1692) 12 A thin and fine Membrane strait and closely adhering to keep it [the brain] from quashing and shaking. 1739 Sharp Surg. xxiv. 122 The water by a sudden Jirk may be heard to quash. 1750 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandm. III. i. 130 (E.D.S.) When the butter is come, which you may know by its quashing. |
Hence quashed (kwɒʃt) ppl. a.; ˈquashing vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| a 1665 J. Goodwin Filled w. the Spirit (1867) 107 A notion..of a dangerous and quashing import to the spirit of all signal excellency. 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) IV. 408 A rare trade, this quashing trade. 1816 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XLII. 35 These are called stratous clouds from their sinking quashed appearance. 1846 J. Hamilton Mt. of Olives viii. 196 With quashed delight and bitter fancies. 1859 I. Taylor Logic in Theol. 270 A factitious quashing of any sensibility. |
▪ IV. quash
obs. variant of kvass.