douse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to plunge into water or the like; drench.
She doused the clothes in soapy water.
-
to splash or throw water or other liquid on.
The children doused each other with the hose.
-
to extinguish.
She quickly doused the candle's flame with her fingertips.
-
Informal. to remove; doff.
-
Nautical.
-
to lower or take in (a sail, mast, or the like) suddenly.
-
to slacken (a line) suddenly.
-
to stow quickly.
-
verb (used without object)
-
to plunge or be plunged into a liquid.
noun
-
British Dialect. a stroke or blow.
verb
-
to plunge or be plunged into water or some other liquid; duck
-
(tr) to drench with water, esp in order to wash or clean
-
(tr) to put out (a light, candle, etc)
noun
-
an immersion
verb
-
nautical to lower (sail) quickly
-
archaic to strike or beat
noun
-
archaic a blow
Other Word Forms
- douser noun
Etymology
Origin of douse
First recorded in 1590–1600; origin uncertain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fire - which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks - was only fully doused by Friday morning, some 40 hours after it started, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.
From BBC
Locklear asked that the lights at DeMille field be doused so he could see when he should pull out of his dive.
From Los Angeles Times
The fire - which spread quickly both upwards and between the blocks - was only fully doused by Friday morning, and took more than 2,000 firefighters to bring under control.
From BBC
As a result, the blaze reignited in some places after being doused, they said.
From BBC
Firefighters continued to douse the building with water to cool the structure and prevent embers from re-igniting.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.