Etymology

bowse

B3O1W4S1E1

Today it means: To drink excessively and socially; to carouse. Full definition →

Middle English bousen ← Middle Dutch būsen
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bowse · verb, noun1

  1. Middle Dutch · derived frombūsen
  2. Middle English · inherited frombousen
  3. English todaybowse

From Middle English bousen, from Middle Dutch būsen, buisen, buysen (“to drink heavily”) (Dutch buizen). Related to Middle High German būsen (“to swell, inblow”). More at beer.

bowse · verb2

Origin unknown.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishbousen all →

boose

Middle Dutchbūsen all →

bouse

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.