drench

plural drenches

1. alsoarchaicfigurativelyA dose or draught of liquid medicine (especially one causing sleepiness) taken by a person; specifically, a (large) dose, or one forced or poured down the throat.

   Guido heard all, swore the befitting oaths, / Shook off the relics of his poison-drench, / Got horse, was fairly started in pursuit […]

   1868, Robert Browning, “II. Half-Rome.”, in The Ring and the Book. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., →OCLC, page 124, lines 952–954

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   [T]hey need not carry ſuch an unvvorthy ſuſpicion over the Preachers of Gods vvord, as to tutor their unſoundneſſe vvith the Abcie of a Liturgy, or to diet their ignorance, and vvant of care, vvith the limited draught of a Mattin, and even ſong drench.

   1641, [John Milton], Animadversions upon the Remonstrants Defence against Smectymnuus, London: […] [Richard Oulton and Gregory Dexter] for Thomas Vnderhill, […], →OCLC, page 20

   Let ſuch bethink them, if the ſleepy drench / Of that forgetful Lake benumme not ſtill, / That in our proper motion we aſcend / Up to our native ſeat: deſcent and fall / To us is adverſe.

   1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 73–77

   Corpulence is a beauty: girls are fattened to a vast bulk by drenches of curds and cream thickened with flour, and are duly disciplined when they refuse.

   1860, Richard F[rancis] Burton, “We Return to Unyanyembe”, in The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Picture of Exploration […], volume II, London: Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts, →OCLC, page 182

   He [the horse-doctor] made up a bucket of bran-mash, and said a dipperful of it every two hours, alternated with a drench with turpentine and axle-grease in it, would either knock my ailments out of men in twenty-four hours, or so interest me in other ways as to make me forget they were on the premises. […] I took up the Christian Science book and read half of it, then took a dipperful of drench and read the other half.

   1899 October, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter III, in Christian Science […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, published February 1907, →OCLC, book I, page 28

2. biologyA dose or draught of liquid medicine administered to an animal.

   O my ſvveet Harry ſaies ſhe! hovv manie haſt thou kild to day? Giue my roane horſe a drench (ſayes hee) and aunſvveres ſome foureteene, an houre after: a trifle, a trifle.

   c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], signature D3, recto

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   It [siler] ſtaieth the gurrie or running out of the belly in foure-footed beaſts, vvhether it bee given ſtamped by vvay of a drench and ſo injected, or chevved drie among their meat vvith ſalt.

   1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XX.] Of the Serpentine Cucumber, Called otherwise the Wandering Cucumber: Also of the Garden Cucumbers, Melons or Pompions.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 41

   A Drench of VVine has vvith ſucceſs been us'd; / And through a Horn, the gen'rous Juice infus'd: / VVhich timely taken op'd his cloſing Javvs; / But, if too late, the Patient's [a horse's] death did cauſe.

   1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 119

present singular third person drenches · participle present drenching · participle past drenched · past drenched · first person past singular drenched · archaic first person past singular drencht · archaic present second person singular drenchest · past second person singular drenched · archaic past second person singular drenchedst · archaic past second person singular drencht · present singular third person drenches · archaic present singular third person drencheth · past singular third person drenched · archaic past singular third person drencht · past plural drenched · archaic past plural drencht

1. transitiveTo cause (someone) to drink; to provide (someone) with a drink.

   A stranger maiden, passing fair, / Had drenched him with a beverage rare;— […]

   1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Fifth. The Court.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XXII, page 274

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   Pork ſucceeds to Beef, Pies to Puddings: The Cloth is remov'd, Madam, drench'd vvith a Bumper, drops a Courtſey, and departs; […]

   1756 February 3 (first performance), Samuel Foote, The Englishman Return’d from Paris, Being the Sequel to The Englishman in Paris. A Farce […], London: […] Paul Vaillant, […], published 1756, →OCLC, Act I, page 27

   But music alone, would not do—Some roast-beef was a necessary article, and some wine, to feed and drench the actors.

   1806 May, “Private Theatricals. King’s Bench, Feb. 17. Duchaliot, Assignee of Delpini, v. Lord Barrymore.”, in The Sporting Magazine; or Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chase, and Every Other Diversion Interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, and Spirit, volume 28, London: […] W. M‘Dowall, […] and sold by J[ohn] Wheble, […], →OCLC, page 80, column 2

   If the people felt themselves so happy; if they had enjoyed, and were enjoying, such prosperity as to call for a Jubilee, they would, of course, rejoice, they would sing and dance and shout, without being fed and drenched by way of hire to sing, dance, and shout.

   1809 November 2, W[illia]m Cobbett, “To William Bosville, Esq.”, in Cobbett’s Weekly Political Register, volume XVI, number 18, London: […] T[homas] C[urson] Hansard, […] [for] Richard Bagshaw, […], published 4 November 1809, →OCLC, columns 642–643

   Strange that such a cursing wretch should not have laid to heart, that those God's hand will sure undo, who cause their parents wounded heart to smart, whose blood and marrow fed and drenched them, and of whom they form a part.

   1921, Immanuel ben Solomon Romi, chapter XII, in Hermann Gollancz, transl., Tophet and Eden (Hell and Paradise): In Imitation of Dante’s Inferno and Paradiso, […], London: University of London Press, […], →OCLC, page 35

   1. specificallytransitivebiologyTo administer a dose or draught of liquid medicine to (an animal), often by force.
2. transitiveTo make (someone or something) completely wet by having water or some other liquid fall or thrown on them or it; to saturate, to soak; also (archaic), to make (someone or something) completely wet by immersing in water or some other liquid; to soak, to steep.

   I'll drench my Svvord in thy deteſted Blood, / Or ſoon make thee Immortal by my ovvn.

   1719 March 18 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Edward Young, Busiris, King of Egypt. A Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1719, →OCLC, Act V, page 61

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   That our Garments being (as they were) drencht in the Sea, hold notwithſtanding their freſhneſſe and gloſſes, being rather new dy'de then ſtain'd with ſalte water.

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 6, column 2

   Deſolations by vvarrs; hovv many fields have been drencht vvith blood, and compoſted vvith carcaſſes; hovv many Millions of men have been cut off in all ages by the edge of the ſvvord?

   1641 September 17 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Hall, “A Sermon Preacht in the Cathedral at Exceter, upon the Solemn Day Appointed for the Celebration of the Pacification betwixt the Two Kingdoms. Viz. Septemb. 7. 1641 [Julian calendar].”, in The Shaking of the Olive-Tree. The Remaining Works of that Incomparable Prelate Joseph Hall, D.D. […], London: […] J. Cadwel for J[ohn] Crooke, […], published 1660, →OCLC, page 53

   Novv dam the Ditches, and the Floods reſtrain: / Their moiſture has already drench'd the Plain.

   1697, Virgil, “The Third Pastoral. Or, Palæmon.”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 16, lines 171–172

   Good Shepherds after ſheering, drench their Sheep, / And their Flocks Father (forc'd from high to leap) / Svvims dovvn the Stream, and plunges in the Deep.

   1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 116, lines 680–682

   I've ſeen a Beau, in ſome ill-fated hour, / VVhen o'er the Stones choak'd Kennels ſvvell the Shovv'r, / In gilded Chariot loll; he vvith Diſdain, / Vievvs ſpatter'd Paſſengers, all drench'd in Rain; […]

   [1716], [John] Gay, “Book II. Of Walking the Streets by Day.”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 46

   Synonyms: bedrench, souse

3. obsoletetransitiveTo drown (someone).

   VVhat flames (q[uo]d he) vvhen I thee preſent ſee, / In daunger rather to be drent, then brent?

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 49, page 270

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   He lookt a little further, and eſpyde / Another vvretch, vvhoſe carcas deepe vvas drent / VVithin the riuer, vvhich the ſame did hyde: […]

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 61, page 288

   Her, vvhom his furie hath from earth exil'd, / And in the ſtrangling vvaters drencht his child; […]

   1626, Ovid, “The Eighth Booke”, in George Sandys, transl., Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished […], London: […] William Stansby, →OCLC, page 165

   Synonyms: endrench, indrench

4. figurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo overwhelm (someone); to drown, to engulf.
5. intransitiveobsoleteTo be drowned; also, to be immersed in water.

   Alas, now drencheth my ſwete fo, / That with the ſpoyle of my hart did go, / And left me but (alas) why did he ſo?

   a. 1548 (date written), [Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey], “Complaint of the Absence of Her Louer Being vpon the Sea”, in Songes and Sonettes, London: […] Richard Tottel, published 10 August 1557 (Gregorian calendar), →OCLC, folios 8, recto – 8, verso

plural drenches

1. An act of making someone or something completely wet; a soak or soaking, a wetting.

   Whenever it was the thought first struck him / How Death, at unawares, might duck him / Deeper than the grave, and quench / The gin-shop's light in Hell's grim drench […]

   1850, Robert Browning, “Christmas-Eve. Stanza III.”, in Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day. A Poem, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 10

2. An amount of water or some other liquid that will make someone or something completely wet.