From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_313_dsquashsquash1 /skwɒʃ $ skwɑːʃ, skwɒːʃ/ ●●○ verb 1 press [transitive]SQUASH to press something into a flatter shape, often breaking or damaging it SYN flatten The cake got a bit squashed on the way here.squash something down Her hair had been squashed down by her hat. Move over – you’re squashing me.2 small space [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]PUSH to push yourself or something else into a space that is too small SYN squeezesquash into Seven of us squashed into the car.squash something in We can probably squash another couple of things in.3 stop something [transitive] informalSTOP something THAT IS HAPPENING to use your power or authority to stop something SYN quash Her suggestions were always squashed.squash rumours/hopes/reports etc (=say that a rumour etc is not true) The government was quick to squash any hopes of reform.4 control emotion [transitive] to control or ignore an emotion SYN suppress She felt anger rising but quickly squashed it. → squash up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
squash• Squashing a bad girl is like trying to squash a bluebottle.• He wouldn't even squash a fly, let alone murder someone.• Her lawyers acted quickly to squash any of her husband's claims on her property.• Later I went for a drive, squashed between Koju and Raju, and burst into tears.• The bag was bundled and squeezed, stretched and squashed, between the legs of the stumbling mass.• They damned the no-nonsense, authoritarian government, which peremptorily squashed even the smallest perceived threat to social peace.• Among edgy garrisons, with military pride an ingredient, something to be squashed immediately.• I'm afraid the chocolates will get squashed in my suitcase.• In the refrigerator, there was some unlikely aborted thing squashed into a stainless-steel bowl.• But, even as the thought occurred to her, she squashed it angrily.• Someone sat on my hat and squashed it.• Hey! You're squashing me!• A nuisance to be squashed on a countertop or squirted with pesticide.• The chairman acted quickly to squash rumours of a takeover bid.• He squashed the can flat between his hands.squashsquash2 ●○○ noun 1 sport [uncountable]DSO a game played by two people who use rackets to hit a small rubber ball against the walls of a square court a squash court2 → it’s a squash3 vegetable [countable, uncountable]HBPDF one of a group of large vegetables with solid flesh and hard skins, such as pumpkins4 drink [uncountable] British EnglishDFD a drink made from fruit juice, sugar, and water a glass of orange squashExamples from the Corpus
squash• Place on a baking sheet and cover squash lightly with foil.• Mr Braithwaite drained off his lime squash and added a couple of jiggers of rum to his empty glass.• Butter cavities of squash and season with honey, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.• A very important game of squash.• Bake in preheated oven until meat of squash is just cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.• Only one vine grew and now it has one squash, all of three inches in diameter, and about ten flowers.Origin squash1 (1500-1600) Old French esquasser, from Latin quassare “to shake” squash2 1. (1800-1900) → SQUASH1(in sense 1, because of the softness of the ball)2. (1600-1700) Natick and Narragansett askutasquash 