From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishextinguishex‧tin‧guish /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ verb [transitive] formal 1 STOP something THAT IS HAPPENINGto make a fire or light stop burning or shining SYN put out Please extinguish all cigarettes. Firemen were called to extinguish the blaze.► see thesaurus at burn2 STOP something THAT IS HAPPENINGto make an idea or feeling stop All hope was almost extinguished.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
extinguish• Her anger, newly kindled, needed something to scorch and shrivel before it could be extinguished.• It was not until early November 1991 that the last of the oil well fires was extinguished.• Passengers are requested to extinguish all cigarettes when the red light goes on.• The news extinguished all hope of his return.• Smoking is allowed only inside vehicles, and the smokes must be extinguished inside those vehicles.• That threat-and the fear of a spiral of violence-also extinguished international support for a declaration on September 13.• You would no more turn them off than you would extinguish life.• It took several hours to extinguish the blaze.• He managed to extinguish the flames with his coat.• And I fear for the darkness as four Justices anxiously await the single vote necessary to extinguish the light.• Would all passengers please extinguish their cigarettes? Thank you.From Longman Business Dictionaryextinguishex‧tin‧guish /ɪkˈstɪŋgwɪʃ/ verb [transitive]1LAWto remove someone’s permission or right to do somethingAny settlement extinguishes the plaintiff’s title to that interest in the goods.The contract would be valid only where such rights had not been extinguished by the government.2FINANCELAWto agree that a debt does not have to be paidDeath does not automatically extinguish debts on bank accounts.→ See Verb tableOrigin extinguish (1500-1600) Latin exstinguere, from stinguere “to extinguish” 