douse

• enPR: daus, IPA^(key): /daʊs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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• Rhymes: -aʊs

Probably of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”). Compare Old English dwǣsċan (“to extinguish”) and douse below.

• dowse, douze, douce, dause (all obsolete or nonstandard)

douse (third-person singular simple present douses, present participle dousing, simple past and past participle doused)

2. (transitive, intransitive) To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.
   • 2018, Jhariah Clare (lyrics and music), “City of Ashes”, in The Great Tale of How I Ruined it All:

     Set fire to your matches! / Douse them in gasoline!

3. (intransitive) To fall suddenly into water.
   • 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. , London: John Martyn and Henry Herringman, , published 1678; republished in A R Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:

     swing i' th'air, or douse in water

4. (transitive) To put out; to extinguish.
   • 1999, Arthur D. Jacobs, The Prison Called Hohenasperg:

     The man who doused the fire was told to put the remainder of the coal into the bucket and then give the bucket to the soldier.

   • Kelly Henderson, Your Mythic Spirit Guide: Spirituality for a Creative Life

     Once you feel confident in your visualizations, you may douse the candle by blowing it out.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

     Now he rushed to the platform edge carrying a full fire bucket, in a forlorn attempt to douse the flames as the now brightly burning wagon rolled past.

• hose down

• douser

douse (plural douses)

1. A sudden plunging into water.
   • 1911, Cyphers Series on Practical Poultry Keeping, number 1, page 74:

     In winter a douse in cold water helps the looks and adds to the style of the carcass, but they should be thoroughly dried before packing.

From Middle English duschen, dusshen (“to rush, fall”), related to Norwegian dusa (“to break, cast down from”), Old Dutch doesen (“to beat, strike”), dialectal German tusen, dusen (“to strike, run against, collide”), Saterland Frisian dössen (“to strike”). Compare doss, dust.

• dowse

douse (third-person singular simple present douses, present participle dousing, simple past and past participle doused)

2. (transitive) To strike, beat, or thrash.
3. (transitive, nautical) To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly

   Douse the topsail!

• dousing-chock

douse (plural douses)

2. A blow or strike, especially to the face.

• oused

douse

1. Alternative form of douce