squash

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /skwɒʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /skwɔʃ/
• (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /skwɑʃ/
• (rural US, intrusive r) IPA^(key): /skwɔɹʃ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒʃ

Etymology 1

From Middle English squachen, squatchen, from Old French esquacher, escachier, from Vulgar Latin *excoāctiāre, from Latin ex + coāctāre. Probably influenced by Middle English quashen, quassen, from Old French esquasser, escasser (“to crush, shatter, destroy, break”), from Vulgar Latin *exquassare, from Latin ex- + quassare (“to shatter”) (see quash).

Noun

A game of squash

squash (countable and uncountable, plural squashes)

1. (uncountable) A sport played in a walled court with a soft rubber ball and bats like tennis racquets.
   • 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days‎^[2]:

     Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.

3. A non-alcoholic drink made from a fruit-based concentrate diluted with water or milk.

   Synonyms: cordial, (uncommon) high juice

   • 2006 Feb. 17, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 1, Episode 4:

     Sure. I pour hot squash all over myself and we all have a good chuckle. Everyone except Muggins here.

   When I'm thirsty I drink squash; it tastes much nicer than plain water.

4. A place or a situation where people have limited space to move.

   It's a bit of a squash in this small room.

5. (biology) A preparation made by placing material on a slide (flat, rectangular piece of glass), covering it and applying pressure.

   Synonym: smear

6. (obsolete, countable) Something soft and easily crushed; especially, an unripe pod of peas.
7. (obsolete, countable, derogatory) Something unripe or soft.
8. (obsolete, countable) A sudden fall of a heavy, soft body; also, a shock of soft bodies.
9. (slang, professional wrestling) An extremely one-sided, usually short, match.
   • Orr, James (2014 August 18) “WWE SummerSlam 2014: How Twitter reacted to John Cena vs Brock Lesnar”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[3], The Independent, retrieved 30 July 2015

     It was one of the most shocking WWE title matches ever witnessed, and effectively a 20-minute squash match as Brock Lesnar "conquered" his opponent.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:squash.

Derived terms

• Des Moines squash
• orange squash
• pepper squash
• squanter-squash
• squashable
• squash ball
• squash court
• squash player
• squash racket
• squash racquets
• squash shot
• squash tennis

 

Related terms

• quash

Descendants

• → Catalan: esquaix
• → Czech: squash
• → Dutch: kwast
  • Afrikaans: kwas
• → Finnish: squash
• → French: squash
• → Japanese: スカッシュ (sukasshu)
• → Korean: 스쿼시 (seukwosi)
• → Norwegian Bokmål: squash
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: squash
• → Polish: squash
• → Portuguese: squash
• → Russian: сквош (skvoš)
• → Swedish: squash

Translations

the sport

• Bulgarian: скуош m (skuoš)
• Catalan: esquaix (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 壁球 (zh) (bìqiú)

• Czech: squash m
• Dutch: squash (nl) n
• Esperanto: skvaŝo
• Finnish: squash (fi), kössi (fi)
• French: squash (fr) m
• German: Squash (de) n
• Hungarian: fallabda (hu), squash (hu)
• Indonesian: skuas (id)
• Japanese: スカッシュ (ja) (sukasshu)
• Korean: 스쿼시 (seukwosi)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: سکواش ? (sikwaş)

• Malay: skuasy
• Maori: poipātū
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: squash m, skvåsj m

  Nynorsk: squash m, skvåsj m

• Persian: اسکواش (fa) (eskuâš)
• Polish: squash (pl) m
• Portuguese: squash (pt) m
• Russian: сквош (ru) m (skvoš)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: скво̏ш m

  Roman: skvȍš (sh) m

• Slovak: squash m
• Slovene: skvoš m
• Spanish: squash (es) m
• Swedish: squash (sv) c
• Ukrainian: сквош m (skvoš)
• Vietnamese: bóng quần
• Welsh: sboncen f

soft drink — see cordial

See also

• racketball

Verb

squash (third-person singular simple present squashes, present participle squashing, simple past and past participle squashed)

1. (transitive) To beat or press into pulp or a flat mass; to crush.
2. (transitive, intransitive) To compress or restrict (oneself) into a small space; to squeeze.

   Somehow, she squashed all her books into her backpack, which was now too heavy to carry.

   We all managed to squash into Mum's tiny car.

3. (transitive) To suppress; to force into submission.
   • 2006, Chris Rodda, Liars for Jesus, →ISBN, page 390:

     A somewhat popular myth about the Whiskey Rebellion is that Washington personally led the troops into western Pennsylvania and squashed the rebellion.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:squash.

Synonyms

• (to compress): condense, press; see also Thesaurus:compress

Derived terms

• squash up
• squashy
• squish

Translations

to beat or press into pulp or flat mass

• Armenian: ճխլել (hy) (čxlel)
• Bulgarian: мачкам (bg) (mačkam), смачквам (bg) (smačkvam)
• Catalan: aixafar (ca)
• Czech: rozmačkat pf, rozmáčknout pf, rozdrtit (cs) pf
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: murskata (fi), puristaa (fi), soseuttaa (fi)
• Galician: estrullar (gl), machucar (gl), esmagar (gl)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: szétlapít (hu)
• Kazakh: мылжалау (myljalau)
• Khiamniungan Naga: thà
• Khmer: វាយបំបាក់ (viey bɑmbak), សង្កិន (km) (sɑŋkən)
• Portuguese: esmagar (pt)
• Russian: разда́вливать (ru) impf (razdávlivatʹ), раздави́ть (ru) pf (razdavítʹ), расплю́щивать (ru) impf (raspljúščivatʹ), расплю́щить (ru) pf (raspljúščitʹ), сжима́ть (ru) impf (sžimátʹ), сжать (ru) pf (sžatʹ)
• Spanish: aplastamiento m, aplastar (es)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: nén (vi), ép (vi)

to compress

• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Basque: zapaldu
• Bulgarian: натискам (bg) (natiskam)
• Catalan: please add this translation if you can
• Czech: zmáčknout pf
• Dutch: samenpersen (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: ahtaa (fi), ahtautua (fi)
• French: presser (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: zusammendrücken (de)
• Hungarian: összenyom (hu), összeprésel (hu)
• Italian: schiacciare (it)
• Khmer: ស្រុញ (km) (sroɲ), បណ្ណែន (bɑnnaen), កត (kɑɑt)
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: comprimir (pt)
• Russian: сда́вливать (ru) impf (sdávlivatʹ), сдави́ть (ru) pf (sdavítʹ), сжима́ть (ru) impf (sžimátʹ), сжать (ru) pf (sžatʹ)
• Spanish: aplastamiento m, aplastar (es)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: dồn (vi), chen (vi)
• ǃXóõ: tʻkxʻām

to suppress

• Czech: potlačit pf

Etymology 2

Shortening of Narragansett askutasquash (“[a vegetable] eaten green (or raw)”), from askut (“green, raw”) +‎ asquash (“eaten”).

Noun

Varieties of squash

squash (countable and uncountable, plural squash or squashes)

2. (botany, countable) A plant and its fruit of any of a few species of the genus Cucurbita, or gourd kind.
   1. Cucurbita maxima, including hubbard squash, great winter squash, buttercup squash, and some varieties of pumpkins.
   2. Cucurbita argyrosperma (syn. Cucurbita mixta), cushaw squash.
   3. Cucurbita moschata, butternut squash, Barbary squash, China squash.
   4. Cucurbita pepo, most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash, zucchini.
3. (botany) Any other similar-looking plant of other genera.
   1. Lagenaria siceraria (syn. Cucurbita verrucosa), calabash, long-neck squash.
4. (cooking) The edible or decorative fruit of these plants, or this fruit prepared as a dish.

   We ate squash and green beans.

Hyponyms

• pumpkin

Derived terms

• acorn squash
• Arikara squash
• banana squash
• button squash
• custard squash
• egg squash
• guinea squash
• Hubbard squash
• Lakota squash
• mango squash
• Marblehead squash
• marrow squash
• opo squash (Lagenaria spp.)
• pattypan squash
• red kuri squash
• scallop squash
• spaghetti squash
• squash and gourd bee
• squash bee
• squash beetle (Epilachna borealis)
• squash bug (Coreidae)
• squash knife
• summer squash
• sunburst squash
• turban squash
• winter squash
• yellow squash

 

Translations

plant and its fruit of the genus Cucurbita

• Abenaki: wasawa
• Arabic:

  Egyptian Arabic: عجور m (ʕagūr)

  Moroccan Arabic: ڭْرعة f (grəʕa), ڭرعة حمرة f (grəʕa ḥəmra), ڭْرعة رطيلية f (grəʕa rṭiliya)

• Bulgarian: тиква (bg) f (tikva)
• Cherokee: ᏩᎩᎦ (wagiga)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (pumpkin) 南瓜 (zh) (nánguā)

• Cree: ᐅᓵᐏᐸᐠ (osaawipak) (pumpkin)
• Czech: tykev (cs) f
• Dutch: kalebas (nl) f
• Esperanto: kukurbo
• Finnish: kurpitsa (fi)
• French: courge (fr) f
• Galician: cabaza (gl) f, botefa f
• Georgian: გოგრა (gogra)
• German: (pumpkin) Kürbis (de) m
• Greek: κολοκύθα (el) f (kolokýtha)
• Hawaiian: pū
• Hindi: स्क्वाश ? (skvāś)
• Hungarian: tök (hu)
• Ido: kukurbito (io)
• Inuktitut:

  Inuttut: semitsik

• Irish: puimcín m
• Italian: zucca (it) f
• Japanese: (pumpkin) 南瓜 (ja) (かぼちゃ, kabocha)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: کودی (kudî)

• Ladino: kalavasa
• Lakota: wagmublu, wagmu
• Maori: kamokamo, pāpapa, paukena
• Mohegan-Pequot: áskot
• Narragansett: askutasquash
• Navajo: naayízí, naayízíłtsooí
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: squash m, skvåsj m

  Nynorsk: squash m, skvåsj m

• Ojibwe: okosimaan
• Ottoman Turkish: قباق (kabak)
• Pawnee: pahuks
• Persian: کدو (fa) (kadu)
• Polish: dynia (pl) f
• Portuguese: abóbora (pt) f, moranga (pt) f, jerimum (pt) m
• Romanian: dovlecel (ro) m
• Russian: кабачо́к (ru) m (kabačók), (pumpkin) ты́ква (ru) f (týkva)
• Spanish: zapallo (es) m
• Swedish: squash (sv) c, zucchini (sv) c, courgette (sv) c
• Tagalog: kandos
• Tarifit: taxsašt f, taxsayt f
• Turkish: kabak (tr)
• Ukrainian: кабачо́к (uk) m (kabačók)
• Unami: kèskùnthàkw (pumpkin)
• Walloon: cawoûte (wa) f
• Yiddish: קאַבאַק m (kabák)

Etymology 3

Clipping of musquash.

Noun

squash (plural squashes)

1. (obsolete, countable) Muskrat.
   • 1705, William Dampier, A Supplement of the Voyage Round the World:

     The squash is a four-footed beast, bigger than a cat.

Further reading

• “squash”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• squash on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Cucurbita on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Cucurbita on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Basque

Etymology

Borrowed from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /es̺kwaʃ/ [es̺.kwaʃ]
• Rhymes: -es̺kwaʃ

Noun

squash inan

1. squash (sport)

Declension

Declension of squash (inanimate, ending in consonant)

	indefinite	singular	plural
absolutive	squash	squasha	squashak
ergative	squashek	squashak	squashek
dative	squashi	squashari	squashei
genitive	squashen	squasharen	squashen
comitative	squashekin	squasharekin	squashekin
causative	squashengatik	squasharengatik	squashengatik
benefactive	squashentzat	squasharentzat	squashentzat
instrumental	squashez	squashaz	squashez
inessive	squashetan	squashean	squashetan
locative	squashetako	squasheko	squashetako
allative	squashetara	squashera	squashetara
terminative	squashetaraino	squasheraino	squashetaraino
directive	squashetarantz	squasherantz	squashetarantz
destinative	squashetarako	squasherako	squashetarako
ablative	squashetatik	squashetik	squashetatik
partitive	squashik	—	—
prolative	squashtzat	—	—

Further reading

• “squash”, in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], Euskaltzaindia

Czech

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈskvoʃ]
• Rhymes: -oʃ
• Hyphenation: squash

Noun

squash m inan (related adjective squashový)

1. (sports) squash

Declension

Declension of squash (velar masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	squash	squashe
genitive	squashe	squashů
dative	squashi	squashům
accusative	squash	squashe
vocative	squashi	squashe
locative	squashi	squashích
instrumental	squashem	squashi

Derived terms

• squashista m anim

 

Further reading

• “squash”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Finnish

Etymology

From English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskuɑs/, [ˈs̠kuɑ̝s̠]
• IPA^(key): /ˈskuɑʃ/, [ˈs̠kuɑ̝ʃ]
• Rhymes: -uɑs
• Hyphenation^(key): squ‧ash

Noun

squash

1. (sports) squash

   Synonym: kössi

Declension

Inflection of squash (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		squash	squashit
genitive		squashin	squashien
partitive		squashia	squasheja
illative		squashiin	squasheihin
		singular	plural
nominative		squash	squashit
accusative	nom.	squash	squashit
	gen.	squashin
genitive		squashin	squashien
partitive		squashia	squasheja
inessive		squashissa	squasheissa
elative		squashista	squasheista
illative		squashiin	squasheihin
adessive		squashilla	squasheilla
ablative		squashilta	squasheilta
allative		squashille	squasheille
essive		squashina	squasheina
translative		squashiksi	squasheiksi
abessive		squashitta	squasheitta
instructive		—	squashein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of squash (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative squashini squashini accusative nom. squashini squashini gen. squashini genitive squashini squashieni partitive squashiani squashejani inessive squashissani squasheissani elative squashistani squasheistani illative squashiini squasheihini adessive squashillani squasheillani ablative squashiltani squasheiltani allative squashilleni squasheilleni essive squashinani squasheinani translative squashikseni squasheikseni abessive squashittani squasheittani instructive — — comitative — squasheineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative squashisi squashisi accusative nom. squashisi squashisi gen. squashisi genitive squashisi squashiesi partitive squashiasi squashejasi inessive squashissasi squasheissasi elative squashistasi squasheistasi illative squashiisi squasheihisi adessive squashillasi squasheillasi ablative squashiltasi squasheiltasi allative squashillesi squasheillesi essive squashinasi squasheinasi translative squashiksesi squasheiksesi abessive squashittasi squasheittasi instructive — — comitative — squasheinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative squashimme squashimme accusative nom. squashimme squashimme gen. squashimme genitive squashimme squashiemme partitive squashiamme squashejamme inessive squashissamme squasheissamme elative squashistamme squasheistamme illative squashiimme squasheihimme adessive squashillamme squasheillamme ablative squashiltamme squasheiltamme allative squashillemme squasheillemme essive squashinamme squasheinamme translative squashiksemme squasheiksemme abessive squashittamme squasheittamme instructive — — comitative — squasheinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative squashinne squashinne accusative nom. squashinne squashinne gen. squashinne genitive squashinne squashienne partitive squashianne squashejanne inessive squashissanne squasheissanne elative squashistanne squasheistanne illative squashiinne squasheihinne adessive squashillanne squasheillanne ablative squashiltanne squasheiltanne allative squashillenne squasheillenne essive squashinanne squasheinanne translative squashiksenne squasheiksenne abessive squashittanne squasheittanne instructive — — comitative — squasheinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative squashinsa squashinsa accusative nom. squashinsa squashinsa gen. squashinsa genitive squashinsa squashiensa partitive squashiaan squashiansa squashejaan squashejansa inessive squashissaan squashissansa squasheissaan squasheissansa elative squashistaan squashistansa squasheistaan squasheistansa illative squashiinsa squasheihinsa adessive squashillaan squashillansa squasheillaan squasheillansa ablative squashiltaan squashiltansa squasheiltaan squasheiltansa allative squashilleen squashillensa squasheilleen squasheillensa essive squashinaan squashinansa squasheinaan squasheinansa translative squashikseen squashiksensa squasheikseen squasheiksensa abessive squashittaan squashittansa squasheittaan squasheittansa instructive — — comitative — squasheineen squasheinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• squash-halli
• squash-kenttä
• squash-maila
• squash-ottelu
• squash-pallo
• squash-turnaus

 

Further reading

• “squash”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[4] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skwaʃ/

Noun

squash m (plural squashs)

1. (sports) (uncountable) squash

   jouer au squash ― to play squash

2. squash game

   On s’est fait deux squashs aujourd’hui.

   We've played two games of squash today.

3. squash court

   La ville a construit trois squashs municipaux.

   The town has built three municipal squash courts.

Further reading

• “squash”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• skvåsj

Etymology

Borrowed from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skʋɔʂ/
• Rhymes: -ɔʂ

Noun

squash m (definite singular squashen, indefinite plural squasher, definite plural squashene)

1. squash (fruit)
2. squash (sport)
3. squash (soft drink)

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• skvåsj

Etymology

Borrowed from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skʋɔʂ/
• Rhymes: -ɔʂ

Noun

squash m (definite singular squashen, indefinite plural squashar, definite plural squashane)

1. squash (fruit)
2. squash (sport)
3. squash (soft drink)

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskwɔʂ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔʂ
• Syllabification: squash

Noun

squash m inan

1. squash (sport)

Declension

Declension of squash

	singular
nominative	squash
genitive	squasha
dative	squashowi
accusative	squasha
instrumental	squashem
locative	squashu
vocative	squashu

Further reading

• squash in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English squash.

Noun

squash m (uncountable)

1. squash (sport)

Further reading

• “squash”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Slovak

Etymology

Borrowed from English squash.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [skvɔʃ]

Noun

squash m inan (genitive singular squashu, declension pattern of stroj)

1. squash (sport)

Declension

Declension of squash

	singulare tantum
nominative	squash
genitive	squashu
dative	squashu
accusative	squash
locative	squashi
instrumental	squashom

Derived terms

• squashový

Further reading

• “squash”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Spanish

Noun

squash m (uncountable)

1. squash (sport)

Further reading

• “squash”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Noun

squash c

1. (sports) squash

Declension

Declension of squash

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	squash	squashs
	definite	squashen	squashens
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• squashbana
• squashboll
• squashracket

Noun

squash c

1. (botany) squash (plant and fruit)

   Synonym: zucchini

Declension

Declension of squash

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	squash	squashs
	definite	squashen	squashens
plural	indefinite	squasher	squashers
	definite	squasherna	squashernas

References

• squash in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• squash in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• squash in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)