squash

n.

1. Any of various tendril-bearing plants of the genus Cucurbita, having fleshy edible fruit with a leathery rind and unisexual flowers.
2. The fruit of any of these plants, eaten as a vegetable.

[From alteration of Narragansett askútasquash.]

squash² (skwŏsh, skwôsh)

v., squashed, squash·ing, squash·es.

v.tr.

1. To beat, squeeze, or press into a pulp or a flattened mass; crush. See synonyms at crush.
2. To put down or suppress; quash: squash a revolt.
3. To silence or fluster, as with crushing words: squash a heckler.

v.intr.

1. To become crushed, flattened, or pulpy, as by pressure or impact.
2. To move with a splashing or sucking sound, as when walking through boggy ground.

n.

1. 1. The act or sound of squashing.
   2. The fact or condition of being squashed.
2. A crushed or crowded mass: a squash of people.
3. Sports. A racket game played in a closed walled court with a rubber ball.
4. Chiefly British. A citrus-based soft drink.

adv.

With a squashing sound.

[Middle English squachen, from Old French esquasser, from Vulgar Latin *exquassāre : Latin ex-, intensive pref.; see ex- + Latin quassāre, to shatter, frequentative of quatere, to shake.]

squasher squash'er n.

The common name for edible fruits of several species of the genus Cucurbita: C. pepo, C. moschata, C. maxima, and C. mixta. Those species originated in the Americas but are now grown in most countries around the world. Within squash there is tremendous variation in size, shape, color, and usage.

The most clearly defined group is summer squash, fruit of any species of Cucurbita eaten as a vegetable when immature. It is most commonly C. pepo. Fruit color may be white, yellow, or light or dark green, and the green may be solid or striped. Shapes may be flattened disks as in Pattypan, cylindrical as in Zucchini and Cocozelle, or with necks as in the straightneck and crookneck types. Summer squash has mild flavor, high water content, and relatively low nutritional value.

Winter squash is fruit of Cucurbita eaten when mature and derives its name from its ability to be stored for several weeks or months before consumption. Varieties of winter squash are found in all four species. The Table Queen group, synonymous with Acorn, is C. pepo, Butternut belongs to C. moschata, Green-striped Cushaw is C. mixta, while C. maxima has the widest range of types, including Buttercup, Hubbards, and Delicious of various colors, Banana, and Boston Marrow. Flesh color varies from light yellow to dark orange, and the edible portion ranges from thin to very thick.

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Gourds, fruits of Cucurbita spp.

Squash is a game that requires agility, coordination, and good aerobic fitness. It is generally regarded as one of the most physically demanding sports. Noel Coward said it is ‘not exercise - it's flagellation’. A squash game may consist of long rallies and short recovery periods. A match between top-class players can last 90 minutes or more. Repeated bursts of activity within the confined space of a squash court can raise body temperature and elevate the heart rate to dangerously high levels. This can overload the heart of an unfit person. The Squash Rackets Association use the adage ‘Get fit to play squash. Don't play squash to get fit’, to encourage sensible participation. Most physicians discourage anyone over the age of 50 from taking up squash. The need for caution is emphasized by the table of exercise-related sudden deaths.

Although squash is at the top of the table, Robin Northcote emphasized that there is a very low statistical risk of sudden death from any sport and that the figures do not imply that squash is more dangerous than other sports. Nevertheless, his table does show that a significant number of squash players have probably died unnecessarily.

EXERCISE-RELATED SUDDEN DEATH IN THE MAINLAND UNITED KINGDOM 1978-87
SPORT/ACTIVITY	NUMBER MALE	FEMALE	MEAN AGE
squash	124	2	44
soccer	53	-	32
swimming	50	6	53
running	38	1	37
badminton	26	-	49
rugby	14	-	30

Table adapted from Northcote, R.J. (1994) Heart and exercise: clinical aspects. In: Oxford textbook of sports medicine. p286. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

For those who are fit enough to play squash, it is an excellent game for developing stamina, suppleness, and, to a lesser extent, strength. Even fit squash players are susceptible to pulls, strains, and tears of muscles and tendons, particularly in the lower leg. An adequate warm-up which includes mobility and stretching will reduce the risk of injury. This is particularly important for those over 25 because as you age your muscles and tendons gradually become less elastic. To minimize stress injuries when feet are jarred and dragged on a hard squash court, it is essential to wear shoes that have adequate cushioning in the heels and instep, and adequate reinforcement around the toes. To decrease the risk of eye injury (a squash ball is just the right size to enter the eye socket), squash players should wear smash-resistant eye protectors.

[SKWAHSH] The fruit of various members of the gourd family native to the Western Hemisphere. There is evidence of squash being eaten in Mexico as far back as 5500 B.C., and in South America over 2,000 years ago. Squash varies widely in size, shape and color. Generally, they're divided into two categories-summer squash and winter squash. Summer squash have thin, edible skins and soft seeds. The tender flesh has a high water content, a mild flavor and doesn't require long cooking. The most widely available varieties of summer squash are crookneck, pattypan and zucchini. Summer squash is best from early through late summer, although some varieties are available year-round in certain regions. Select the smaller specimens with bright-colored skin free of spots and bruises. Summer squash is very perishable and should be refrigerated in a plastic bag for no more than 5 days. It can be prepared by a variety of methods including steaming, baking, sautéing and deep-frying. Summer squash are high in vitamins A and C as well as niacin. Winter squash have hard, thick skins and seeds. The deep yellow to orange flesh is firmer than that of summer squash and therefore requires longer cooking. Winter squash varieties include acorn, buttercup, butternut, hubbard, spaghetti and turban. Though most varieties are available year-round, winter squash is best from early fall through the winter. Choose squash that are heavy for their size and have a hard, deep-colored rind free of blemishes or moldy spots. The hard skin of a winter squash protects the flesh and allows it to be stored longer than summer squash. It does not require refrigeration and can be kept in a cool, dark place for a month or more, depending on the variety. Once the seeds are removed, winter squash can be baked, steamed or simmered. They're a good source of iron, riboflavin and vitamins A (more than summer squash) and C. See also calabaza; cushaw; delicata; golden nugget; kabocha; pumpkin; vegetable marrow; squash blossoms.

verb

1. To press forcefully so as to break up into a pulpy mass: crush, mash, mush, pulp. See help/harm/harmless.
2. To bring to an end forcibly as if by imposing a heavy weight: choke off, crush, extinguish, put down, quash, quell, quench, squelch, suppress. Idioms: put the lid on. See continue/stop/pause, win/lose/recovery.

v

Definition: compress
Antonyms: fan, open, uncompress

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For more information on squash, visit Britannica.com.

cucurbita maxima.

Description	Quantity	Energy (calories)	Carbs (grams)	Protein (grams)	Cholesterol (milligrams)	Weight (grams)	Fat (grams)	Saturated Fat (grams)
summer, cooked, drained	1 cup	35	8	2	0	180	1	0.1
winter, baked	1 cup	80	18	2	0	205	1	0.3

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. tr. - presse, kvase, mase flad, sammenstuve, undertrykke, skære ned
v. intr. - blive mast
n. - tætpakket mængde, blød masse
adv. - sjaskende lyd

idioms:

• squash into    presse ind i

2.
n. - squash; melongræskar

Nederlands (Dutch)
verpletteren, (onder) drukken, squash, plof, pulp

Français (French)
1.
v. tr. - écraser, aplatir, entasser, rabattre le caquet à, stopper (la rumeur), rejeter (une idée)
v. intr. - s'écraser, s'entasser
n. - (Sport) squash, sirop, cohue
adv. - avec le bruit d'un écrasement

idioms:

• squash into    entasser dans

2.
n. - gourde (plante), courge, calebasse

Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - zerquetschen, niederschlagen
n. - Squash
adv. - platschend

idioms:

• squash into    hineinzwängen

2.
n. - Kürbis

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πολτοποίηση, (Βρετ.) συμπυκνωμένος χυμός φρούτων, πολτός, συνωστισμός, ζούληγμα, ζούπισμα, κολοκυθάκι, (αθλοπ.) σκουός
v. - συνθλίβω, λειώνω, στύβω, πολτοποιώ, στριμώχνω, συνωστίζομαι, αποπαίρνω, υποχρεώνω κάποιον σε σιωπή ή αδράνεια, καταπνίγω (εξέγερση κ.λπ.)

idioms:

• squash into    στριμώχνω/-ομαι σε

Italiano (Italian)
schiacciare, fracassare, squash, zucca

idioms:

• squash into    fracassarsi contro

Português (Portuguese)
n. - suco (m), aperto (m), modalidade de esporte
v. - esmagar, apertar

idioms:

• squash into    espremer-se em

Русский (Russian)
размягченная масса, фруктовый сок, толкучка, мягкий резиновый мяч, давка, что-л. мягкое, податливое, сквош, плюханье, разминать, выжимать сок, подавлять, заставить замолчать, запихивать, протискиваться, толпиться, тыква, ондатра

idioms:

• squash into    втиснуться (куда-л.)

Español (Spanish)
1.
v. tr. - aplastar, apretar
v. intr. - aplastarse, estrujarse, apretarse
n. - pulpa, cosa machacada, apretura (de gente), jugo de fruta, squash (deporte)
adv. - con sonido de chapaleo

idioms:

• squash into    conseguir meterse en, conseguir entrar en

2.
n. - calabaza de gén

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - squash (dryck), duns, smaks, pumpa
v. - krama, mosa, klämma, klämma in, pressa in, trängas

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 南瓜属植物, 南瓜

idioms:

• squash into    挤进..., 挤入...

2. 把...压扁, 镇压, 压制, 挤压, 使沉默, 压服, 被压扁, 发溅泼声, 受挤压, 发咯吱声, 拥挤, 硬塞, 压碎的东西, 挤压地, 啪地

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. tr. - 把...壓扁, 鎮壓, 壓制, 擠壓, 使沈默, 壓服
v. intr. - 被壓扁, 發濺潑聲, 受擠壓, 發咯吱聲
n. - 擠壓, 擁擠, 硬塞, 壓碎的東西
adv. - 擠壓地, 啪地

2.
n. - 南瓜屬植物, 南瓜

idioms:

• squash into    擠進..., 擠入...

한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. tr. - (반란을) 진압하다, 짓누르다, (제안 등을) 물리치다
v. intr. - 찌그러지다, (많은 사람들을) 밀치고 들어가다
n. - 찌그러지는 소리, 말랑말랑하여 뭉그러지기 쉬운 것, 군중
adv. - 철썩 소리를 내며

idioms:

• squash into    (승객 등을) 밀어넣다, (승객 등이) 밀려들다

2.
n. - 호박, 얼굴

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ぐしゃぐしゃにする, 押しつぶす, 押し込める, 詰め込む, 割り込む, 鎮圧する, やり込める, つぶす
n. - 押し合いへし合い, 殺到, スカッシュ, カボチャ, つぶれたもの

idioms:

• squash into    押し込める

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) هريس, ازدحام, عصير فواكه, لعبه السكواش (فعل) سحق, هرس, , أخمد‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮מעך, דחס, השתיק, דיכא‬
v. intr. - ‮נמעך, נדחס, נדחק‬
n. - ‮מעיכה, קול מעיכה, דוחק, קהל צפוף‬
adv. - ‮בקול מעיכה‬
n. - ‮משקה פירות, דלעת‬

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squash	squash racquets
Squash Racquet	squash racquet