Pressing or crushing something with force, making it flatten or lose its original shape.
From Old French 'quasser' (to shake/crush), possibly with influence from Germanic words. The 'squ' beginning is characteristic of English words meaning to squeeze or squirt, and 'squash' entered English in the 1600s.
The 'squ' sound in English—like 'squash,' 'squeeze,' 'squirm'—is almost onomatopoeia; it literally sounds like the action you're describing, which is why these words feel so satisfying to say!
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