drench
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English drenchen, from Old English drenċan, from Proto-Germanic *drankijaną (compare Dutch drenken ‘to get a drink’, German tränken ‘to water, give a drink’), causative of *drinkaną (“to drink”). More at drink.
Pronunciation
Noun
drench (plural drenches)
- A draught administered to an animal.
- William Shakespeare
- Give my roan horse a drench.
- William Shakespeare
- (obsolete) A drink; a draught; specifically, a potion of medicine poured or forced down the throat; also, a potion that causes purging.
- John Dryden
- A drench of wine has with success been us'd,
And through a horn the gen'rous juice infus'd,
Which, timely taken, op'd his closing jaws,
But, if too late, the patient's death did cause.
- A drench of wine has with success been us'd,
- Mark Twain, Christian Science and the Book of Mrs. Eddy
- I took up the 'Christian Scientist' book and read half of it, then took a dipperful of drench and read the other half.
- John Dryden
Translations
a draught administered to an animal
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Verb
drench (third-person singular simple present drenches, present participle drenching, simple past and past participle drenched)
- To soak, to make very wet.
- Dryden
- Now dam the ditches and the floods restrain; / Their moisture has already drenched the plain.
- Dryden
- To cause to drink; especially, to dose (e.g. a horse) with medicine by force.
Related terms
Translations
to soak, to make very wet
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Etymology 2
From Middle English dreng, from Old English dreng (“warrior, soldier”), from Proto-Germanic *drangijaz, cognate to Old Norse drengr.
Noun
drench (plural drenches)
- (obsolete, UK) A military vassal, mentioned in the Domesday Book.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Burrill to this entry?)
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
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- Rhymes:English/ɛntʃ
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