Probably of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”). Compare Old English dwǣsċan (“to extinguish”) and douse below.
Meanings
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:
Probably of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish dunsa (“to plumb down, fall clumsily”), Danish dunse (“to thump”). Compare Old English dwǣsċan (“to extinguish”) and douse below.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To 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:
(intransitive) To 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:
(transitive) To put out; to extinguish.
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:
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:
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:
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:
From Middle English duschen, dusshen (“to rush, fall”), related to Norwegian dusa (“to break, cast down from”), Old Dutch doesen (“to beat, strike”), dialectal German tusen, dusen (“to strike, run against, collide”), Saterland Frisian dössen (“to strike”). Compare doss, dust.
From Middle English duschen, dusshen (“to rush, fall”), related to Norwegian dusa (“to break, cast down from”), Old Dutch doesen (“to beat, strike”), dialectal German tusen, dusen (“to strike, run against, collide”), Saterland Frisian dössen (“to strike”). Compare doss, dust.
Meanings
(transitive) To strike, beat, or thrash.
(transitive) To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly
fi vetäistä alas (strike or lower in haste; slacken suddenly) · de schnell herunterlassen (strike or lower in haste; slacken suddenly) · de unvermittelt fallen lassen (strike or lower in haste; slacken suddenly)