drowse
[ drouz ]
/ draʊz /
verb (used without object), drowsed, drows·ing.
to be sleepy or half-asleep.
to be dull or sluggish.
verb (used with object), drowsed, drows·ing.
to pass or spend (time) in drowsing (often followed by away): He drowsed away the morning.
to make sleepy.
noun
a sleepy condition; state of being half-asleep.
Nearby words
drown one's sorrows, drown out, drowned valley, drownproof, drownproofing, drowse, drowsihead, drowsiness, drowsy, drub, drubbing
Origin of drowse
before 900; Old English drūsian to droop, become sluggish (not recorded in ME); akin to Old English drēosan to fall
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for drowse
British Dictionary definitions for drowse
drowse
/ (draʊz) /
verb
to be or cause to be sleepy, dull, or sluggish
noun
the state of being drowsy
Word Origin for drowse
C16: probably from Old English drūsian to sink; related to drēosan to fall
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for drowse
drowse
1570s, probably a back-formation from drowsy. Old English had a similar word, but there is a 600-year gap. Related: Drowsed; drowsing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper