Squelch is a 17th century word that originally referred to falling, dropping or stomping (on something soft) with a powerful force. This was probably imitative of the sound made. Interestingly, squelch has a couple of synonyms that also begin with squ-: squish and squash.

Unlike squelch however, squish and squash came into English via the Old French esquasser/escasser, meaning "to crush, shatter, destroy, break" and from the Vulgar Latin exquassare (ex = out + quassare = to shatter).

In addition to its verb form, squash is a noun that refers to a racket sport played with a soft rubber ball (that is easily squashed) and also a gourd fruit in the pumpkin family.

Squelch is used in several different contexts. As a verb it means:

- to crush something by forcefully stepping on it (used here in either a literal or figurative sense)

- to make a soft sucking sound such as that made by walking heavily through mud

- to put down or silence, as with a crushing response (The police were able to squelch the riot)

- (biology, medicine) to suppress or inhibit the expression of another gene

As a noun, squelch also refers to an electric circuit that cuts off a radio receiver when the signal is too weak for reception, thus essentially suppressing the noise.

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SYNONYMS

crush, extinguish, muffle, oppress, smother, squash, stifle, thwart, kill, squish, quelch

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"The city council squelched the idea of expanding the subway system."