dowse

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Related to dowsers: divining rod

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.

[Origin unknown.]

dowse 2

(dous)
v. & n.
Variant of douse 1.
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.

dowse

(daʊs)
vb, n
a variant spelling of douse 1
ˈdowser n

dowse

(daʊz)
vb
(Mining & Quarrying) (intr) to search for underground water, minerals, etc, using a divining rod; divine
[C17: of unknown origin]
ˈdowser n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dowse1

(daʊs)

v.t., v.i. dowsed, dows•ing,
n.

dowse2

(daʊz)

v. dowsed, dows•ing. v.i.
1. to use a divining rod.
v.t.
2. to discover (water, etc.) by dowsing.
[1685–95; orig. dial. (SW England); orig. obscure]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
douse, dowse - Douse first meant "knock, punch, strike" and now means "to extinguish or wet thoroughly"; dowse means to look for water or minerals with a divining rod.
See also related terms for minerals.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

dowse


Past participle: dowsed
Gerund: dowsing

Imperative
dowse
dowse
Present
I dowse
you dowse
he/she/it dowses
we dowse
you dowse
they dowse
Preterite
I dowsed
you dowsed
he/she/it dowsed
we dowsed
you dowsed
they dowsed
Present Continuous
I am dowsing
you are dowsing
he/she/it is dowsing
we are dowsing
you are dowsing
they are dowsing
Present Perfect
I have dowsed
you have dowsed
he/she/it has dowsed
we have dowsed
you have dowsed
they have dowsed
Past Continuous
I was dowsing
you were dowsing
he/she/it was dowsing
we were dowsing
you were dowsing
they were dowsing
Past Perfect
I had dowsed
you had dowsed
he/she/it had dowsed
we had dowsed
you had dowsed
they had dowsed
Future
I will dowse
you will dowse
he/she/it will dowse
we will dowse
you will dowse
they will dowse
Future Perfect
I will have dowsed
you will have dowsed
he/she/it will have dowsed
we will have dowsed
you will have dowsed
they will have dowsed
Future Continuous
I will be dowsing
you will be dowsing
he/she/it will be dowsing
we will be dowsing
you will be dowsing
they will be dowsing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been dowsing
you have been dowsing
he/she/it has been dowsing
we have been dowsing
you have been dowsing
they have been dowsing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been dowsing
you will have been dowsing
he/she/it will have been dowsing
we will have been dowsing
you will have been dowsing
they will have been dowsing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been dowsing
you had been dowsing
he/she/it had been dowsing
we had been dowsing
you had been dowsing
they had been dowsing
Conditional
I would dowse
you would dowse
he/she/it would dowse
we would dowse
you would dowse
they would dowse
Past Conditional
I would have dowsed
you would have dowsed
he/she/it would have dowsed
we would have dowsed
you would have dowsed
they would have dowsed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. dowse - searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod
fortune telling, soothsaying, foretelling, divination - the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means
Verb 1. dowse - wet thoroughly
wet - cause to become wet; "Wet your face"
2. dowse - use a divining rod in search of underground water or metal
divine - search by divining, as if with a rod; "He claimed he could divine underground water"
3. dowse - slacken; "douse a rope"
slacken, remit - make slack as by lessening tension or firmness
4. dowse - cover with liquid; pour liquid onto; "souse water on his hot face"
wet - cause to become wet; "Wet your face"
brine - soak in brine
bedraggle, draggle - make wet and dirty, as from rain
bate - soak in a special solution to soften and remove chemicals used in previous treatments; "bate hides and skins"
ret - place (flax, hemp, or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibers from the woody tissue
sluice, flush - irrigate with water from a sluice; "sluice the earth"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

dowse

2
vi (= divine)mit einer Wünschelrute suchen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

dowse

[daʊz] vipraticare la rabdomanzia
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in periodicals archive ?
Summary: Since 1961, The American Society of Dowsers (ASD) has been a pioneer for scientific and technical exploration of dowsing, as well as the esoteric, spiritual and psychic arts in the United States.
I recently accompanied one of Britain's last dowsers. He discovered an open-air swimming pool.
Krzysztof Szpakowski said he has no doubt about his find, which he says was based on evidence he has gathered for decades, including witness statements, old documents and an examination of the area with ground-penetrating radar and dowsers.
CLEVELAND Retired Men's Association: Members were treated to a demonstration of dowsing by David and Eleanor Burke and two of their students from the British Dowsers Association.
Langdon's findings will need to be confirmed by excavation, although in 2011 at the top of this newly discovered Stone Avenue, dowsers found a series of stone holes in the same location of the new photographic evidence.
He was a former member of the Oxford Planning Board and was a member of the American Society of Dowsers. He donated his time and many talents to the town of Oxford.
This agrees with what experienced dowsers, who routinely investigate buildings/ have told me.
pull up your knickers and begin hiring dowsers by the dozen
For two years Caterine immersed himself in this strange culture, attending events like Lily Dale, a spiritualist summer camp; Roswell UFO Festival; and the annual American Society of Dowsers' convention.
EDO Municipal Services told that 24 fire brigades, 2 water dowsers and chemicals were used to extinguish the fore.
The movement of pointers on Ouija boards, tables during seances, or rods in the hands of dowsers are also examples of ideomotor activity.