bouse

1

or bowse

[ bous, bouz ]
/ baʊs, baʊz /

verb (used with object), boused, bous·ing. Nautical.

to haul with tackle.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of bouse

1
First recorded in 1585–95; of uncertain origin

Words nearby bouse

bournonite, bournonville, bourrée, bourse, bourtree, bouse, bousouki, boustrophedon, bousy, bout, boutade

Definition for bouse (2 of 2)

bouse2

or bowse

[ booz, bouz ]
/ buz, baʊz /

noun

liquor or drink.
a drinking bout; carouse.

verb (used with or without object), boused, bous·ing.

to drink, especially to excess.

Origin of bouse

2
1250–1300; Middle English bous strong drink < Middle Dutch būsen drink to excess; cf. booze
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for bouse

  • The wandering beggar says "skimish" for drink, but city beggars say "bouse."

    Beggars|W. H. (William Henry) Davies

  • Booze, or bouse, is supposed to come from the Dutch buysen, though the word has been in use in England for some hundreds of years.

    The Slang Dictionary|John Camden Hotten

British Dictionary definitions for bouse

bouse

bowse

/ (baʊz) /

verb

(tr) nautical to raise or haul with a tackle

Word Origin for bouse

C16: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012