v.
Pronunciation: ik- ' sti ŋ -(g)wish
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Latin exstinguere (fr. ex- + stinguere to extinguish) + English -ish (as in abolish ); akin to Latin in stigare to incite ― more at STICK
Date: circa 1540
1 a (1) : to bring to an end : make an end of <hope for their safety was slowly extinguish ed > (2) : to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness b : to cause to cease burning : QUENCH c : to cause extinction of (a conditioned response) d : to dim the brightness of : ECLIPSE
2 a : to cause to be void : NULLIFY < extinguish a claim> b : to get rid of usually by payment < extinguish a debt>
– ex · tin · guish · able \ -(g)wi-sh ə -b ə l \ adjective
– ex · tin · guish · er \ -sh ə r \ noun
– ex · tin · guish · ment \ -m ə nt \ noun