v. [ad. L. ex(s)tingu-ĕre (f. ex- intensive + stinguĕre to quench): see -ISH.]
1. trans. To put out, quench (fire, light, anything burning or shining). † In early medical use: To reduce (an inflammation).
1551. Bale, Eng. Votaries, II. 89 b. Ethelredus … by it [cold water] … extynguyshed … the flames of all … vices.
1563. T. Gale, Antidot., II. 16. It [vnguent] doeth extinguishe … all inflammations of the lyuer.
1596. Drayton, Legends, ii. 545. A little sparke extinguish’d to the Eye.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., ii. 110. The light is under a Bushell, but it is not extinguished.
1691. Dryden, Lady of May, 10. The soft god of pleasure … Has broken his bow, and extinguish’d his fires.
1710. J. Clarke, Rohault’s Nat. Phil. (1729), II. 165. Cold extinguishes … Heat.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., I. § 3. They would extinguish the very light of nature.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 271. The water is … thrown in a jet through a hose-pipe with great force, to extinguish fire.
1869. Tyndall, Light, ii. (1873), 65. Natural bodies … extinguish certain constituents of the white solar light.
2. transf. and fig. a. To quench (hopes, passions, strife, life, mental faculties, etc.); to silence (sound).
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, IV. iii. (1564), 121 b. Suche as haue … wateryshe Matrixes can not conceyue, for the power of the seede is extinguished in it.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. 21 b. Paule … exhorteth the Thessalonians not to extinguish the spirite.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 212. It deadeth and extinguisheth the Sound utterly.
a. 1627. Hayward, Edw. VI. (1630), 89. To extinguish the loue of the people to the young King.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 143. God will not suffer it [Truth] to be exstinguished.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 666. Least total darkness should … extinguish life In Nature.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 126, ¶ 3. We should soon see that furious Party-Spirit extinguished.
1729. Law, Serious C., x. 143. Extinguishing his reason, instead of putting out his eyes.
1780. J. Harris, Philol. Enq. (1841), 512. War between great men seldom extinguishes humanity.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 603. Neither his years nor his profession had wholly extinguished his martial ardour.
b. To ‘quench’ or totally obscure by superior brilliancy; to ‘eclipse,’ put completely into the shade.
1551. Gardiner, Explic. Cath. Fayth, 142. In the Sacrament the visible element is not extinguished by the presence of Christes most precious body.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., V. iii. 192. Naturall Graces that extinguish Art.
1863. Mrs. Oliphant, Salem Chapel, i. 11. The men … were quite transcended and extinguished by their wives and daughters.
c. In mod. use: To reduce (an adversary) to silence. Chiefly colloq.
1878. Gladstone, Prim. Homer, 130. The stinging and compressed oration of Odusseus in Scheriè … utterly extinguishes his adversary.
3. To put a total end to, do away with completely, blot out of existence.
1555. Eden, Decades, 249. For gy theyr inuasions were extinguyshed all artes and sciences.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. viii. (1611), 22. It extinguisheth all heinous crimes.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., I. 44. This late mightie Empire [of the Turks], extinguisht in Ægypt by the Mamalucks.
1669–70. Marvell, Corr., cxxxvi. Wks. 1872–5, II. 302. That all memory thereof might be extinguisht.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 169, ¶ 2. Half the Misery of human Life might be extinguished.
1783. Burke, Sp. Fox’s E. India Bill, Wks. 1842, I. 285. The authority of the regular and lawful government is every where … extinguished.
1868. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., I. 70. But the confiscation of Wolsey’s possessions extinguished the grandeur of these plans.
b. To render void (a bill, claim, right, etc.). In Law sometimes spec. (see EXTINGUISHMENT 3 b).
1548. Ld. Somerset, Epist. Scots, 242. That cannot extynguish the title which we haue to the Croune of Scotlande.
a. 1626. Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law, iii. (1630), 13. The warren is not by implication reserued vnto mee either to bee inioyed or extinguished.
1651. W. G., trans. Cowel’s Inst., 207. The action for the residue is utterly extinguished.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 583. Man’s … rights and claims Are paramount, and must extinguish theirs [creeping vermin’s].
1866. Crump, Banking, v. 132. Cancellation … is considered to extinguish the instrument.
1891. Law Reports, Weekly Notes, 136/2. The right of way … was extinguished by the mortgage.
c. To discharge, obtain total acquittance of, ‘wipe out’ by full payment or composition.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 357. All which so inestimable summes … they have re-imbursed or extinguished.
1777. Watson, Philip II. (1793), II. XIV. 187. They will ere long extinguish the debt which they owe you, in your blood.
1836. Thirlwall, Greece, II. xi. 35. The debt itself … was … held to be extinguished.
1845. McCulloch, Taxation, III. i. (1852), 429. The only instance of a national debt having been extinguished.
d. To suppress († books, † customs, offices or corporate institutions).
1590. Sir J. Smythe, Disc. Weapons, Sig. *ij b. Procuring also … to suppresse and extinguish the exercise and seruiceable vse of Long-bowes. Ibid. (1590), in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 56. A booke conteyninge so disordered matter, that yt should be extinguished.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., 2. One that extinguished worthy whole volumes, to bring his abridgements into request.
1656. Bramhall, Replic., ii. 109. The Baronies of the Bishops, and their votes in Parliament were taken away, but the Order was not extinguished.
1722. Lond. Gaz., No. 6092/1. It is our Pleasure that the said Sort [of boat] be extinguished, and no longer used.
1839. Yeowell, Anc. Brit. Ch., xi. (1847), 117. Though the bishopric … merged into the archbishopric … it was not extinguished.
1868. J. H. Blunt. Ref. Ch. Eng., I. ii. 68. It had long been foreseen that … a large number of them [monasteries] must be extinguished.
e. To annihilate, bring to an end, cut off (a family, race, etc.).
1593. R. Harvey, Philad., 100. The nation of the Hunnes was almost vtterly extinguished in Greece, by the Emperor.
1641. Baker, Chron. (1660), 19. The Danish Line clean extinguished, Edward the Confessour … was … admitted King of England.
1656. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 35. The Royall race of the Valois being extinguished by the death of Henry the third.
1837. Sir F. Palgrave, Merch. & Friar (1844), 135. ‘Extinguishing’ the Red man by the progress of civilisation.
† f. To make away with, kill (an individual).
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., XII. iii. (1612), 158. His [Gotarzes’] brothers are extinguished by murder.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 558. They extinguish the great ones, especially those of royall bloud.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., Wks. 1738, II. 108. He had first relinquish’d, then extinguish’d Edmund.
† 4. intr. for refl. in various senses: To die out.
(Quot. 1837 is not strictly an example of this use, but of the idiomatic occas. use of a trans. vb. in passive sense.)
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 52/1. Inscende the same, and let it combure, till of it selfe it extingvishe.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. lxxiii. 114.
| They nothing differ in the stuff, | |
| But both extinguish like a snuff. |
1650. Milton, Tenure Kings, 53. These … through all stormes and persecutions kept Religion from extinguishing.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, II. II. 159. His Family being like to extinguish for want of Heirs.
1723. Pres. State Russia, I. 220. If a Fire … finds Iron and Stone in its Way, it extinguishes of itself.
1742. Hume, Ess., Stoic (1779), I. 161. His alacrity suddenly extinguishes.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. II., I. 375. He paints that phantom of Royalty the present King extinguishing at Metz.
[1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. VI. iii. This conflagration of the South-East will abate … extinguish it will not, till the fuel be all done.]
Hence Extinguished ppl. a. Extinguishedly adv. Extinguishing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1552. Huloet, Extinguished, extinctus.
1616. Chapman, Musæus, 471. She … round about the Seas broad shoulders, throwes Her eye, to second the extinguisht Light.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 60. Adam lost the measure, and manner, not utterly and extinguishedly, the thing [i.e., virtue].
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., III. vii. 285. Some vast devastation … may endanger … the extinguishing of the species of things.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 442. His eye relumines its extinguished fires.
1837. in T. P. O’Connor, Ld. Beaconsfield (1879), 174. The laughter, shouts, etc., which accompanied the honourable and extinguished Member’s first attempt in Parliamentary oratory.
a. 1863. Thackeray, Mr. & Mrs. Berry, ii. A strong smell of an extinguished lamp.
