douse

present singular third person douses · participle present dousing · participle past doused · past doused · alternative dowse · alternative douze · alternative douce · alternative dause

1. ambitransitiveTo plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.

   Set fire to your matches! / Douse them in gasoline!

   2018, Jhariah Clare, “City of Ashes”, in The Great Tale of How I Ruined it All

2. intransitiveTo fall suddenly into water.

   swing i' th'air, or douse in water

   1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC

3. transitiveTo put out; to extinguish.

   Once you feel confident in your visualizations, you may douse the candle by blowing it out.

   2012, Kelly Henderson, Your Mythic Spirit Guide: Spirituality for a Creative Life

   3 more examples

   The man who doused the fire was told to put the remainder of the coal into the bucket and then give the bucket to the soldier.

   1999, Arthur D. Jacobs, The Prison Called Hohenasperg

   Now he rushed to the platform edge carrying a full fire bucket, in a forlorn attempt to douse the flames as the now brightly burning wagon rolled past.

   2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42

   Trump made efforts to douse the flames with ever-shifting explanations, excuses and distractions but merely poured fuel on the fire.

   2025 July 19, David Smith, “‘The ghost of Epstein is haunting Trump’s presidency’: inside the ‘Maga’ revolt”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

plural douses · alternative dowse · alternative douze · alternative douce · alternative dause

1. A sudden plunging into water.

   In winter a douse in cold water helps the looks and adds to the style of the carcass, but they should be thoroughly dried before packing.

   1911, Cyphers Series on Practical Poultry Keeping, number 1, page 74

present singular third person douses · participle present dousing · participle past doused · past doused · alternative dowse

1. transitiveTo strike, beat, or thrash.
2. transitivenauticalTo strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly

   Douse the topsail!

plural douses · alternative dowse

1. A blow or strike, especially to the face.

plural Douses

1. A surname.