/daʊs/
OriginProbably of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”). Compare Old English dwǣsċan (“to extinguish”) and douse below.
- ambitransitiveTo plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.
“Set fire to your matches! / Douse them in gasoline!”
- intransitiveTo fall suddenly into water.
“swing i' th'air, or douse in water”
- transitiveTo put out; to extinguish.
“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.”
“Once you feel confident in your visualizations, you may douse the candle by blowing it out.”
“Now he rushed to the platform edge carrying a full fire bucket, in a forlorn attempt to douse the flames as the now brightly burning wagon rolled past.”
- transitiveTo strike, beat, or thrash.
- transitiveTo strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly
- A sudden plunging into water.
“In winter a douse in cold water helps the looks and adds to the style of the carcass, but they should be thoroughly dried before packing.”
- A blow or strike, especially to the face.
Formsdouses(present, singular, third-person) · dousing(participle, present) · doused(participle, past) · doused(past) · dowse(alternative) · douze(alternative) · douce(alternative) · dause(alternative) · douses(plural) · Douses(plural)
Source: Wiktionary