souse

¹ American  

[sous] / saʊs /

verb (used with object)

soused, sousing

1. to plunge into water or other liquid; immerse.

2. to drench, as with water.

   Synonyms:

   wet, waterlog, soak, saturate, douse

3. to dash or pour, as water.

4. to steep in pickling brine; pickle.

---

verb (used without object)

soused, sousing

1. to plunge into water or other liquid.

2. to be soaked or drenched.

3. to be steeping or soaking in something.

noun

1. an act of sousing.

2. something kept or steeped in pickle, especially the head, ears, and feet of a pig.

3. a liquid used as a pickle.

4. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a habitual drinker of alcohol who is frequently intoxicated.

souse ² American  

[sous] / saʊs /

verb (used without object)

soused, sousing

1. to swoop down.

---

verb (used with object)

soused, sousing

1. to swoop or pounce upon.

noun

Falconry.

1. a rising while in flight.

2. a swooping or pouncing.

souse ¹ British  

/ saʊs /

verb

1. to plunge (something, oneself, etc) into water or other liquid

2. to drench or be drenched

3. (tr) to pour or dash (liquid) over (a person or thing)

4. to steep or cook (food) in a marinade

5. slang (tr; usually passive) to make drunk

---

noun

1. the liquid or brine used in pickling

2. the act or process of sousing

3. slang a habitual drunkard

souse ² British  

/ saʊs /

verb

1. to swoop suddenly downwards (on a prey)

---

noun

1. a sudden downward swoop

Etymology

Origin of souse¹

First recorded 1350–1400 and in 1915–20 souse ¹ for def. 11; Middle English noun souce, sows, from Old French souz, sous, souce “pickled (meat),” from Germanic (akin to salt ¹ ); the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of souse²

First recorded in 1350–1400; by-form of source in its earlier literal sense “rising”

Example Sentences

Specialty products include beef hot dogs, cocktail sausages and hot or mild souse under the Magnolia brand.

From Washington Times • Oct. 27, 2018

Baker's hero, Sampson Shillitoe, poet, souse, womanizer and pratfalling Prometheus, might be the worshipful nephew of Joyce Gary's artist-as-an-old-grog, Gulley Jimson.

From Time Magazine Archive

The trick is to veer away from souse holes?a vacuum on the downstream side of a boulder?because the swirl can pull the stern down and pop the bow up, propelling passengers into the drink.

From Time Magazine Archive

Through the mysterious medium of Strine, magic comes out mare chick, a terrace house is a terror souse, house-proud is assprad, and sacks of potatoes are sex apertaters.

From Time Magazine Archive

Why, then, I won't gi' thee a souse.

From The Inconstant by Farquhar, George