English

Alternative forms

• dowse, douze, douce, dause (all obsolete or nonstandard)

Verb

douse ‎(third-person singular simple present douses, present participle dousing, simple past and past participle doused)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.
2. (intransitive) To fall suddenly into water.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)

3. (transitive) To put out; to extinguish.
   • 1999, Arthur D. Jacobs, The Prison Called Hohenasperg

     The man who doused the fire was told to put the remainder of the coal into the bucket and then give the bucket to the soldier.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English duschen, dusshen ‎(“to rush, fall”), related to Norwegian dusa ‎(“to break, cast down from”), Old Dutch doesen ‎(“to beat, strike”), German dialectal tusen, dusen ‎(“to strike, run against, collide”), Saterland Frisian dössen ‎(“to strike”). Compare doss, dust.

Verb

douse ‎(third-person singular simple present douses, present participle dousing, simple past and past participle doused)

1. (transitive) To strike.
2. (transitive, nautical) To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly; as, douse the topsail.

Translations

Noun

douse ‎(plural douses)

1. A blow; stroke.

Anagrams

• oused