verb

extinguish

ik-STING-gwish/ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/

To put out a fire or light.

The woman extinguishes the candle with a snuffer, leaving only a curl of smoke.

An older woman lowers a candle snuffer over a candle wick, with a thin curl of smoke escaping beneath the snuffer and no flame remaining.

Etymology

exLatinout

+tinguLatinto quench

+ishEnglishverb-forming ending

“Out” reinforces the quenching root: something burning is made to go out. The fire-and-light sense preserves this concrete image rather than the broader meaning of wiping something out.

In context

CQ Fire & Safety0:11

step one check to make sure the fire extinguisher you have on hand is the correct type of extinguisher to extinguish the type of fire

How to Use a Fire Extinguisher Using the PASS Method

More examples

She extinguished the candle before leaving the room.
Keep pouring water until you have extinguished the campfire.
The crew extinguishes all lights before the performance begins.

Forms

extinguish · extinguishes · extinguished · extinguishing

extinguisher noun — A device used to put out fires.

Similar words

quench: Often describes putting out flames with water or another liquid.
smother: Specifically means stopping a fire by cutting off oxygen.