squelch

English

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps a blend of squash +‎ quell +‎ quench. Compare also English squolsh, English squoosh.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskwɛltʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɛltʃ

Verb

1. (transitive, US) to halt, stop, eliminate, stamp out, or put down, often suddenly or by force

   Even the king’s announcement could not squelch the rumors.

   • Beaumont and Fletcher

     Oh 'twas your luck and mine to be squelched.

   • Carlyle

     If you deceive us you will be squelched.

2. (transitive, radio technology) to suppress the unwanted hiss or static between received transmissions by adjusting a threshold level for signal strength, below which the signal is suppressed by applying a gain of zero, and above which a positive (and linear from zero) gain is applied.
3. (intransitive, British) to make a sucking, splashing noise as when walking on muddy ground

   The mud squelched underfoot; it had been raining all night.

   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XVI, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

     [After they both fell into the lake.] Reaching the mainland some moments later and squelching back to the house, accompanied by Bobbie, like a couple of Napoleons squelching back from Moscow, [...]

4. (intransitive, British) to walk or step through a substance such as mud

   The mud was thick and sticky underfoot, but we squelched through it nonetheless.

Synonyms

• (to halt): quash

Translations

to halt, stop, eliminate

• Russian: уничтожа́ть (ru) (uničtožátʹ)
• Spanish: aplastar (es)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Swedish: hejda (sv), hindra (sv), stoppa (sv)

radio technology: suppress hiss or static

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

to make a sucking, splashing noise

• Czech: čvachtat (cs)
• French: faire floc floc, faire flip-flap
• German: matschen (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: хлюпать (ru) (xljupatʹ)
• Spanish: chapotear (es)
• Swedish: klafsa (sv)

to walk or step through a substance such as a mud

• Czech: čvachtat se impf, rochnit se impf
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Swedish: klafsa (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} chapotear (es)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Noun

squelch (countable and uncountable, plural squelches)

1. (countable) A squelching sound.
2. (radio technology) The suppression of the unwanted hiss or static between received transmissions by adjusting the gain of the receiver.
3. (countable, dated) A heavy blow or fall.
4. (countable, music) A kind of electronic beat used in acid house and related music genres.
   • 1998, Colin Larkin, The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (page 91)

     Through a process of experimentation the 'acid squelch' sound came forth, which was recorded and passed on to DJ Ron Hardy to play at his Warehouse club.

Derived terms

• squelchy

Translations

A squelching sound

• Maori: pakora, pākorakora
• Russian: хлюпанье (ru) n (xljupanʹje)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Swedish: klafs