* (Noun) Middle English wose (“sap”), from Old English wōs (“sap, froth”), from Proto-Germanic *wōsą, from Proto-Indo-European *wóseh₂ (“sap”) (cf. Sanskrit वसा (vásā, “fat”)). Cognate to Middle Low German wose (“scum”), Old High German wasal (“rain”), Old Swedish os, oos, ooss, Swedish os. Compare Old Swedish os, oos, Swedish os, Danish os, Norwegian os (“fumes, vapors, reeking, fug”).
* (Verb) Middle English wosen, from Old English wōsan; see above. Compare Swedish osa (“ooze”).
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Tanning liquor, an aqueous extract of vegetable matter (tanbark, sumac, etc.) in a tanning vat used to tan leather.
(countable, uncountable) An oozing, gentle flowing, or seepage, as of water through sand or earth.
* (Noun) Middle English wose (“sap”), from Old English wōs (“sap, froth”), from Proto-Germanic *wōsą, from Proto-Indo-European *wóseh₂ (“sap”) (cf. Sanskrit वसा (vásā, “fat”)). Cognate to Middle Low German wose (“scum”), Old High German wasal (“rain”), Old Swedish os, oos, ooss, Swedish os. Compare Old Swedish os, oos, Swedish os, Danish os, Norwegian os (“fumes, vapors, reeking, fug”).
* (Verb) Middle English wosen, from Old English wōsan; see above. Compare Swedish osa (“ooze”).
Meanings
(figuratively, intransitive, sometimes) To be secreted or slowly leak.
Her heart constricted when she saw thick blood oozing from a wide gash in his forehead. 2011, Karen Mahoney, The Iron Witch, Flux, →ISBN, page 278:
I promised him I would keep silence, but the story gradually oozed out, and the Cronsons left the country. 1868, Charlotte Riddell, A Strange Christmas Game:
Pale slime oozed through all the surfaces; some of it dripped from the ceiling and burned Dennis as badly as the blazing sparks had done a moment before. 1988, David Drake, The Sea Hag, Baen Publishing Enterprises, published 2003, →ISBN:
He was hard to understand because he spoke softly, and his Vermont accent was as thick as maple syrup oozing down a pile of pancakes. 1994, Madeleine May Kunin, Living a Political Life, Vintage Books, published 1995, →ISBN:
She picked up the limp sprout and squeezed her thumb up its tiny stalk. Microscopic grains oozed out. “Why, one sprig of nut grass can ruin a whole yard. Look here. When it comes fall this dries up and the wind blows it all over Maycomb County!” Miss Maudie’s face likened such an occurrence unto an Old Testament pestilence. 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:
(figuratively, transitive) To give off a strong sense of (something); to exude.
Newcastle had failed to penetrate a typically organised Stoke backline in the opening stages but, once Cabaye and then Cisse breached their defence, Newcastle oozed confidence and controlled the game with a swagger expected of a top-four team. 2012 April 21, Jonathan Jurejko, “Newcastle 3-0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport:
"Good servants are so hard to find," Chesna said, oozing arrogance. 1989, Robert R. McCammon, The Wolf's Hour, Open Road Integrated Media, published 2011, →ISBN:
[…] this room, where misfortune seems to ooze, where speculation lurks in corners, and of which Madame Vauquer inhales the warm, fetid air without being nauseated. 1878, Henry James, “Honoré de Balzac”, in French Poets and Novelists, London: Macmillan, II, p. 122:
There are no two ways about it: a Berardi dress oozes sex appeal from its very seams. 1999, Tamsin Blanchard, Antonio Berardi: Sex and Sensibility, Watson-Guptill Publications, →ISBN, page 16:
Many of the stations, some of which are request stops, still have their original LSWR buildings. All are now private homes, but it oozes nostalgia (which I like). 2025 November 12, 'Mystery Shopper', “Is Devon the cream of the crop?”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 48:
hy արձակել (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · nn ose (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · it stillare (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fr suinter (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · gl zumegar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · my စိမ့် (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · sh propuštati (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · bg църцоря (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fi tihkua (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fi erittää (secrete) (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · de durchsickern (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · pt excretar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · sa गलति (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · ru источа́ть (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · pt segregar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · nl afscheiden (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · el αναβλύζω (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · sh eksudirati (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · es trazumar (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · cmn 滲 /渗 (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · mi mama (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hu csorog (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hy կաթկթել (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · tr sızmak (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hy ճառագել (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · gl segregar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · es rezumar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · ru сочи́ться (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · ja 滲む (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hu áraszt (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · ka ჟონავს (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · de triefen (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · ru вытека́ть (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · bg изпускам (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · bg процеждам се (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fa تراویدن (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · fa تراویدن (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fi huokua (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · gv sheel (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · nn ose (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · nb ose (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · es trazumar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · nl sijpelen (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · pt verter (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · nl druppelsgewijze lekken (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · pl sączyć się (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · nl zweten (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · es rezumar (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · pt escoar (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hu szivárog (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · sh secernirati (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hy հոսել (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · cs mokvat (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · hy ծորալ (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fr sécréter (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · mi pahī (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · fi uhkua (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · ta வழி (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · mi papī (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · nb ose (transitive: to give off a sense of (something)) · fa زهیدن (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · sh lučiti (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · de sickern (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · cs vytékat (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · pl wyciekać (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · sv sippra (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak) · mk лачи (intransitive: to secrete or slowly leak)
From Middle English wose, from Old English wāse (“mud, mire”), from Proto-West Germanic *waisā, from Proto-Germanic *waisǭ (compare Dutch waas (“haze, mist; bloom”), (obsolete) German Wasen (“turf, sod”), Old Norse veisa (“slime, stagnant pool”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to flow”) (compare Sanskrit विष्यति (viṣyati, “flow, let loose”)). Compare also Saterland Frisian öäzje (“to smear”). More at virus.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Soft mud, slime, or shells especially in the bed of a river or estuary.
It was May before the skunk cabbage began to push up through the ooze of the swamps, before the rhubarb reddened to the back corner of the garden and the spring peepers finally emerged and began abrading the edges of the night with their lovesick vibrato. 1993, TC Boyle, The Road to Wellville, Penguin, published 1994, page 297:
my son i' th' ooze is bedded. 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 III, scene iii]:
(countable, uncountable) A pelagic marine sediment containing a significant amount of the microscopic remains of either calcareous or siliceous planktonic debris organisms.
Seaweed were left on the blackened marble, while the salt ooze defaced the matchless works of art. 1826, [Mary Shelley], The Last Man. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC:
(countable, uncountable) A piece of soft, wet, pliable ground.