dousing

douse ¹

also dowse  (dous)

tr.v. doused, dous·ing, dous·es also dowsed or dows·ing or dows·es

1. To wet thoroughly; drench.

2. To put out (a light or fire); extinguish: doused the campfire with a bucket of water.

n.

A thorough drenching.

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[From obsolete douse, to strike.]

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dous′er n.

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douse ²

 (douz)

v.

Variant of dowse¹.

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dowse ¹

also douse  (douz)

intr.v. dowsed, dows·ing, dows·es also doused or dous·ing or dous·es

To use a divining rod to search for underground water or minerals.

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[Origin unknown.]

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dowse ²

 (dous)

v. & n.

Variant of douse¹.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

dousing - the act of wetting something by submerging it ducking, submersion, immersion wetting - the act of making something wet

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.