*quash*

n. [ American Indian name. ] (Zool.) See Muskrat. [ 1913 Webster ]

Musquash root (Bot.), an umbelliferous plant (Cicuta maculata), having a poisonous root. See Water hemlock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Squash. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Quashed p. pr. & vb. n. Quashing. ] [ OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. cassare to annihilate, annul, fr. cassus empty, vain, of uncertain origin. The word has been confused with L. quassare to shake, F. casser to break, which is probably of different origin. Cf. Cashier, v. t. ] (Law) To abate, annul, overthrow, or make void; as, to quash an indictment. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ OF. quasser, F. casser, fr. L. quassare to shake, shatter, shiver, v. intens. fr. quatere, quassum, to shake, shatter. Cf. Concussion, Discuss, Rescue, and also Quash to annul. ] 1. To beat down, or beat in pieces; to dash forcibly; to crush. [ 1913 Webster ]

The whales
Against sharp rocks, like reeling vessels, quashed,
Though huge as mountains, are in pieces dashed. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To crush; to subdue; to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely; as, to quash a rebellion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Contrition is apt to quash or allay all worldly grief. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be shaken, or dashed about, with noise. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A negro of the West Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Musquash. ] (Zool.) An American animal allied to the weasel. [ Obs. ] Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Massachusetts Indian asq, pl. asquash, raw, green, immature, applied to fruit and vegetables which were used when green, or without cooking; askutasquash vine apple. ] (Bot.) A plant and its fruit of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The species are much confused. The long-neck squash is called Cucurbita verrucosa, the Barbary or China squash, Cucurbita moschata, and the great winter squash, Cucurbita maxima, but the distinctions are not clear. [ 1913 Webster ]

Squash beetle (Zool.), a small American beetle (Diabrotica vittata, syn. Galeruca vittata) which is often abundant and very injurious to the leaves of squash, cucumber, etc. It is striped with yellow and black. The name is applied also to other allied species. --
Squash bug (Zool.), a large black American hemipterous insect (Coreus tristis syn. Anasa tristis) injurious to squash vines. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Squashed p. pr. & vb. n. Squashing. ] [ OE. squachen, OF. escachier, esquachier, to squash, to crush, F. écacher, perhaps from (assumed) LL. excoacticare, fr. L. ex + coactare to constrain, from cogere, coactum, to compel. Cf. Cogent, Squat, v. i. ] To beat or press into pulp or a flat mass; to crush. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Something soft and easily crushed; especially, an unripe pod of pease. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a squash is before 't is a peascod. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, something unripe or soft; -- used in contempt. “This squash, this gentleman.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sudden fall of a heavy, soft body; also, a shock of soft bodies. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

My fall was stopped by a terrible squash. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A game much like rackets, played in a walled court with soft rubber balls and bats like tennis rackets; -- called also squash rackets. [ PJC ]

n. One who, or that which, squashes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being squashy, or soft. [ 1913 Webster ]