douse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb put out, as of a candle or a light
    put out.
    • Douse the lights
  2. verb wet thoroughly
    dowse.
  3. verb dip into a liquid
    dip; duck.
    • He dipped into the pool
  4. verb immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
    dunk; souse; plunge; dip.
    • dip the garment into the cleaning solution
    • dip the brush into the paint
  5. verb lower quickly
    • douse a sail
  6. verb slacken
    dowse.
    • douse a rope
  7. verb cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
    drench; souse; soak; sop; dowse.
    • souse water on his hot face

WordNet

Douse transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. Dowse, and OD. donsen to strike with the fist on the back, Sw. dunsa to fall down violently and noisily; perh. akin to E. din.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Doused ; present participle & verbal noun Dousing
Definitions
  1. To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse; to dowse. Bp. Stillingfleet.
  2. (Naut.) To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly; as, douse the topsail.
Douse intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To fall suddenly into water. Hudibras.
Douse transitive verb
Etymology
AS. dwæscan. (Skeat.)
Definitions
  1. To put out; to extinguish. Slang " To douse the glim." Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1913