- Today's Word
Quell
[KWELL]
Definition
- (verb) To suppress, pacify, or put an end to something, typically referring to stopping a disturbance, rebellion, or strong emotion. It suggests forcefully subduing or quieting something that is turbulent or agitated.
Example
The experienced teacher was able to quell the classroom chaos with just one stern look at her students.
Fun Fact
“Quell” comes from the Old English “cwellan,” meaning “to kill, murder, or execute,” which shares roots with the German “quälen” (to torment) and Dutch “kwellen” (to plague or torment). Over time, its meaning softened from the literal act of killing to the more metaphorical sense of subduing or suppressing. In medieval warfare, a knight’s ability to “quell” an uprising was considered one of the most valuable skills a warrior could possess, requiring a delicate balance of force and diplomacy. Interestingly, during the Black Death in Europe, people would carry posies (small bouquets) believing their sweet scent could “quell” the disease – this practice is referenced in the nursery rhyme “Ring Around the Rosie.” Today, while retaining its connection to suppression and control, the word has evolved to be used more commonly in contexts involving emotions, disputes, and social unrest, showing how language can shift from physical to psychological applications while maintaining its core meaning of bringing something under control.
(noun) A person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure and sensory enjoyment is the highest good and chief aim of life
A self-proclaimed hedonist, she planned her entire sabbatical around exceptional food, warm weather, and long afternoons with nothing to do.
Hedonist derives from the Greek hedone, meaning “pleasure” or “delight,” from hedys (“sweet”). The philosophical school of Hedonism was formally developed in ancient Greece — most notably by Epicurus, who argued that pleasure, properly understood, was the foundation of a good life. The word entered English in the 19th century as both a philosophical term and a descriptor for those who live purely for sensory gratification.