douse

See also: Douse

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: daus, IPA^(key): /daʊs/
• Rhymes: -aʊs

Etymology 1

Probably of (deprecated template usage) [etyl]  origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”). Compare Old English dwǣscan (“to extinguish”) and douse below.

Alternative forms

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

Verb

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

1. (transitive, intransitive) To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.
2. (intransitive) To fall suddenly into water.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)

3. (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.

Translations

plunge suddenly into water; duck; immerse

• Bulgarian: потапям (bg) (potapjam), намокрям (bg) (namokrjam)
• Dutch: onderduiken (nl), onderdompelen (nl)
• Finnish: kastaa (fi), upottaa (fi)
• French: immerger (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: imergir (pt)
• Romanian: muia (ro)
• Russian: окуна́ть (ru) impf (okunátʹ), окуну́ть (ru) pf (okunútʹ)

fall suddenly into water

• Finnish: pudota veteen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

put out; extinguish

• Bulgarian: гася (bg) (gasja)
• Dutch: doven (nl), uitdoen (nl), uitdoven (nl)
• Finnish: sammuttaa (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: toutou
• Russian: (extinguish) туши́ть (ru) impf (tušítʹ), потуши́ть (ru) pf (potušítʹ), гаси́ть (ru) impf (gasítʹ), погаси́ть (ru) pf (pogasítʹ), (pour water) облива́ть (ru) impf (oblivátʹ), обли́ть (ru) pf (oblítʹ)
• Spanish: apagar (es), extinguir (es)

Noun

douse (plural douses)

1. A sudden plunging into water.
   • 1911, Cyphers Series on Practical Poultry Keeping (issue 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.

Etymology 2

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

Verb

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

   Douse the topsail!

Translations

strike or lower in haste; slacken suddenly

• Finnish: vetäistä alas
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Noun

douse (plural douses)

1. A blow; stroke.

Anagrams

• oused

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Middle English

Noun

douse

1. Alternative form of douce