quenching

plural quenchings

1. countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe extinction of any of several physical properties.
2. countableuncountableengineeringThe rapid cooling of a hot metal object, by placing it in a liquid, in order to harden it.
3. countableuncountableastronomyA process in which a galaxy loses cold gas, thus strongly suppressing star formation.
4. countableuncountablebiologyThe dissipation of energy from light in excess of what can be used for photosynthesis.

   1 more example

   2022 August 27, Michael Le Page, Genetic tweaking increases soy yield by upgrading photosynthesis, New Scientist, Issue 3401, page 16, When a leaf is in full sunshine, it absorbs more light energy than its photosynthetic machinery can handle. This damages cells unless they turn on a mechanism known as quenching to dissipate the excess energy. When a leaf is shaded, however, quenching has to be turned off to avoid dissipating energy that could be used.

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of quench