[ex.tin.guish] vt [L exstinguere (fr. ex- + stinguere to extinguish) + E -ish (as in abolish); akin to L instigare to incite--more at stick] (1551) 1 a: to cause to cease burning: quench b (1): to bring to an end: make an end of "hope for their safety was slowly ~ed" (2): to reduce to silence or ineffectiveness c: to cause extinction of (a conditioned response) d: to dim the brightness of: eclipse
2. a: to cause to be void: nullify "~ a claim" b: to get rid of usu. by payment "~ a debt" -- ex.tin.guish.able adj -- ex.tin.guish.er n -- ex.tin.guish.ment n