drizzle

present singular third person drizzles · participle present drizzling · participle past drizzled · past drizzled

1. impersonalTo rain lightly.

   We had planned a picnic for Joe's birthday, but it ended up drizzling all day.

   Synonyms: sprinkle, drip, mizzle, mistle

2. ambitransitiveTo shed slowly in minute drops or particles.

   And from mine eyes the drizling teares descend, As on your boughes the ysicles depend.

   1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Ianuarye. Ægloga Prima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC

   1 more example

   When the sun sets, the air doth drizzle dew; But for the sunset of my brother’s son It rains downright.

   c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]

3. transitivecookingTo pour slowly and evenly, especially oil or honey in cooking.

   The recipe says to toss the salad and then drizzle olive oil on it.

   Synonyms: dribble

4. transitivecookingTo cover by pouring in this manner.

   The recipe says to toss the salad and then drizzle it in olive oil.

   1 more example

   Drizzle with oil and a few squeezes from a lemon wedge or two and serve at once, with remaining lemon wedges on the side.

   2022, Melissa Clark, Dinner in One, →ISBN, page 49

5. slangTo urinate.

   She'll be right back, had to drizzle before we leave.

6. datedTo carry out parfilage, the process of unravelling.

   1 more example

   She found that all those ladies who did not play at cards occupied their fingers with parfilage.[...] Here, the work was called drizzling. Ladies begged their friends to give them pieces of the gold lace used on uniforms and the gold tassels of sword-belts, they picked out the metal threads, and by selling these they realised considerable sums. Prince Leopold himself drizzled continually[...]

   1908 January 28 – June 28, James Knowles, “Extracts from the Journal of Lady Mary Coke”, in The Nineteenth Century And After, volume 63, New York, N.Y.; London: Leonard Scott Publication Co.; Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., Printers, →OCLC, page 433

plural drizzles

1. countableuncountableLight rain.

   Up here, it's a 'dreich' day with steady drizzle. Deep drainage channels either side of the track are already more like streams: Rannoch Moor is a wet place.

   2023 November 29, Paul Clifton, “West is best in the Highlands”, in RAIL, number 997, page 39

2. countableuncountableclimatologyVery small, numerous, and uniformly dispersed water drops, mist, or sprinkle. Unlike fog droplets, drizzle falls to the ground.

   No longer pouring, the rain outside slowed down to a faint drizzle.

3. countableslanguncountableWater.

   Stop drinking all of my drizzle!

4. countableuncountableSomething that is drizzled.

   Thick shavings of Parmesan were plentiful, but the drizzle of “white truffle oil” promised on the menu had been forgotten.

   2009 May 29, Patricia Brooks, “A Retro Rebirth at a Storied Location”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Sep 2019

   2 more examples

   The warm apple tart, made to order, had a definitively crisp shell. Its filling of apples was tender and sweet, and the drizzle of caramel rum sauce added sophistication.

   1999 November 21, Catherine Jones, “Restaurants: Palate and Palette”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 27 May 2015

   Drizzle is not normally good news. Not when it's falling from the sky, not when it's replacing a decent helping of sauce, and especially not when it's found on a menu in close proximity to the words "balsamic vinegar". Deliciously sticky, sweet and sour lemon drizzle cake is the one, and very honourable, exception. […] Rhodes and Holt wisely avoid any icing, relying on the power of the drizzle: and I'm inclined to agree – with the crunchy, granulated sugar syrups used by Holt and George, anything further would seem to be over-egging the cake.

   2013 January 23, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect lemon drizzle cake”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 Sep 2013

5. countableuncountablebakingA cake onto which icing, honey or syrup has been drizzled in an artistic manner.

   The rest of the day is spent trying to concentrate on ingredient labels, ordering supplies, baking some fairy cakes for a hen party and two lemon drizzles, one for a new baby and one for an old dear's birthday.

   2009, Jules Stanbridge, Sugar and Spice