What does "quell" mean?
Quell: To be subdued or abated; to yield; to abate. [R.] Winter's wrath begins to quell. Spenser.
Additional senses
- 2.To take the life of; to kill. [Obs.] Spenser. The ducks cried as [if] men would them quelle. Chaucer.
- 3.To overpower; to subdue; to put down. The nation obeyed the call, rallied round the sovereign, and enabled him to quell the disaffected minority. Macaulay. Northward marching to quell the sudden revolt. Longfellow.
- 4.To quiet; to allay; to pacify; to cause to yield or cease; as, to quell grief; to quell the tumult of the soul. Much did his words the gentle lady quell. Spenser.
- 5.Murder. [Obs.] Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00