Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for douse on Thesaurus.com verb (used with object), doused, dous·ing. to plunge into water or the like; drench: She doused the clothes in soapy water. to splash or throw water or other liquid on: The children doused each other with the hose. to extinguish: She quickly doused the candle's flame with her fingertips. Informal to remove; doff. Nautical to lower or take in (a sail, mast, or the like) suddenly. to slacken (a line) suddenly. to stow quickly. Show More
verb (used without object), doused, dous·ing. to plunge or be plunged into a liquid. Show More
British Dialect a stroke or blow. Show More
Origin of douse First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain
Can be confused douse dowse Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for douse deluge ,
soak ,
quench ,
drown ,
saturate ,
smother ,
splash ,
submerge ,
wet ,
dunk ,
snuff ,
souse ,
plunge ,
slop ,
immerse ,
splatter ,
sop ,
spatter ,
duck ,
slosh Examples from the Web for douse Contemporary Examples of douse Douse the whole thing with some olive oil and add Himalayan pink sea salt to taste.
It was fear of cancer and a douse of hypochondria that brought me to 23andMe in the first place.
Fourteen years later, two rookie cops heard gunfire and saw a now 14-year-old Douse coming toward them, that very gun in hand.
One security guard reported that the fire extinguisher failed to work when he tried to douse the flames.
The halon-based fire-suppression systems used by commercial jets in these zones are not able to douse such fires.
Historical Examples of douse Jack was about to douse the light, but Hemming told him to let it burn on.
I mind a sentence in it that must have been a douse of cauld watter—toch!
If I could only lay in a crick—roll in it—douse my face in it—soak my clothes in it!
Douse your glim, mate; we'll be having them Zeppelins all over us.
Douse my to'-gallant top-lights but we'll have a skirmish now sure.
British Dictionary definitions for douse to plunge or be plunged into water or some other liquid; duck (tr) to drench with water, esp in order to wash or clean (tr) to put out (a light, candle, etc) Show More
Derived Forms douser or dowser , noun Word Origin for douse C16: perhaps related to obsolete douse to strike, of obscure origin
nautical to lower (sail) quickly archaic to strike or beat Show More
Word Origin for douse C16: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to douse 1
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
Word Origin and History for douse v. 1550s, "to strike, punch," which is perhaps from Middle Dutch dossen "beat forcefully" or a similar Low German word.
Meaning "to strike a sail in haste" is recorded from 1620s; that of "to extinguish (a light)" is from 1785; perhaps influenced by dout (1520s), an obsolete contraction of do out (cf. doff, don ). OED regards the meaning "to plunge into water, to throw water over" (c.1600) as a separate word, of unknown origin, though admitting there may be a connection of some sort. Related: Doused ; dousing .
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
