dowse

1 of 2

verb (1)

less common spelling of douse

transitive verb

1

: to plunge into water

Blanch the green beans then douse them in a bath of ice water.

2

a

: to throw a liquid on : drench

The books were doused in gasoline and set ablaze.

doused herself in perfume

b

: slosh

3

[originally in argot use (douse the glim meaning "extinguish the light") and perhaps of distinct origin] : extinguish

douse the lights

douse the blaze

intransitive verb

: to fall or become plunged into water

dowse

2 of 2

verb (2)

ˈdau̇z 

dowsed; dowsing

intransitive verb

: to use a divining rod

transitive verb

: to find (something, such as water) by dowsing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Water your potted mums from below the flowers and foliage rather than dowsing the whole thing with a blasting overhead shower. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 20 Oct. 2017

There were drug addicts and alcoholics and women who dowsed their cleaning rags with disinfectant and huffed those poisonous and intoxicating fumes into their lungs. —Sherman Alexie, The New Yorker, 5 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Verb (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (2)

1691, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

dowse

1 of 2

variant of douse

dowse

2 of 2 verb

ˈdau̇z 

: to use a divining rod especially to find water

dowser

ˈdau̇-zər

noun