I. ˈkwel transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English quellen, from Old English cwellan; akin to Old Saxon quellian to torture, kill, Old High German quellen to torture, kill, Old Norse kvelja to torment, torture; causative from the root of Old English cwelan to die; akin to Old English cwalu killing, murder, Old High German quelan to suffer pain, quāla pain, torment, Old Norse kvöl pain, torment, Welsh ballu to die, Greek dellithes wasps, belonē sharp point, needle, Armenian kełem I torment, Old Slavic želja pain
1. archaic : kill , slay
never quelled an enemy save in my just defense — Lord Byron
2. : to put down : overpower , suppress , extinguish
only step being taken to quell the disturbances in the city — T.B.Costain
emotions quelled the conscious exercise of reason — H.O.Taylor
3. : quiet , allay , pacify
these generated fears must be quelled — Henry Wallace
curb our evil instincts and quell our anguish — A.L.Guérard
Synonyms: see crush
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from quellen, v.
archaic : killing , slaughter
sooner than we would choose, bread will melt, water will burn, and the great quell begin — W.H.Auden
also : the power of quelling
a sovereign quell is in his waving hands — John Keats