drench

American  

[drench] / drɛntʃ /

verb (used with object)

drenches, present (3rd person singular) drenched, past participle, past drenching present participle

1. to wet thoroughly; soak.

2. to saturate by immersion in a liquid; steep.

3. to cover or fill completely; bathe.

   trees drenched with sunlight.

4. Veterinary Medicine. to administer a draft of medicine to (an animal), especially by force.

   to drench a horse.

5. Archaic. to cause to drink.

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noun

1. the act of drenching.

2. something that drenches.

   a drench of rain.

3. a preparation for drenching or steeping.

4. a solution, especially one of fermenting bran, for drenching hides or skins.

5. a large drink or draft.

6. a draft of medicine, especially one administered to an animal by force.

7. Horticulture. a mixture of pesticide and water applied to the soil surrounding a plant.

drench British  

/ drɛntʃ /

verb

1. to make completely wet; soak

2. to give liquid medicine to (an animal), esp by force

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noun

1. the act or an instance of drenching

2. a dose of liquid medicine given to an animal

Usage

What does drench mean? To drench is to soak with a liquid, as in The rain drenched me from head to foot. Often, drench is used in reference to rain, bodies of water, or a spill of some kind. To drench is also to saturate with liquid. When you saturate, or drench, a sponge with water, for example, you add as much water as the sponge can hold. Figuratively, to drench is also to cover or fill completely, such as drenching a plant with sunlight by placing the plant in a sunny window. You might also be drenched in a strong emotion, such as joy or sadness. In other words, you’re full of that joy or sadness. A drench is a large amount of liquid that is poured or dropped onto something, such as rain during a powerful rain storm. Drench is also the specific act of drenching something. Example: The rain is going to absolutely drench the clothes hanging on the laundry line.

Synonym Usage

See wet.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• drencher
  noun
• drenchingly
  adverb
• undrenched
  adjective
• drenching
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have drenched
  perfect
• has drenched
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are drenching
  progressive
• has been drenching
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been drenching
  perfect progressive
• is drenching
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am drenching
  progressive 1st person singular
• drenching
  participle
• drenches
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had drenched
  perfect
• were drenching
  progressive plural
• was drenching
  progressive singular
• had been drenching
  perfect progressive
• drenched
  simple
• drenched
  participle

Future

• will drench
  simple
• will have drenched
  perfect
• will be drenching
  progressive
• will have been drenching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of drench

First recorded before 900; Middle English drenchen, Old English drencan, causative of drincan “to drink” ( see drink); cognate with Dutch drenken, German tränken “to water, give to drink”

Explanation

To drench something is to get it thoroughly wet. You might drench your sister with the garden hose to pay her back for squirting you with her water pistol. When you're sailing a small boat on a stormy day, waves might drench you, and a torrential rain storm can also drench you, if you leave your umbrella at home. If your dog is crazy about swimming, he might drench himself often by plunging into whatever body of water you're near. Drench comes from the Old English drencan, which means both "submerge or drown" and "give drink to or make drunk."

Related Words

• deluge
• douse
• drown
• immerse
• impregnate
• inundate
• saturate
• soak
• steep
• submerge