Douse

Pronunciation: /daʊs/

Definitions of douse

verb To drench or soak thoroughly; to extinguish a fire by throwing water or other liquid on it

Example Sentences

A1 She doused the fire with water.

A2 The firefighter doused the flames with foam.

B1 The protestors doused the police car with gasoline.

B2 The chef doused the steak in a delicious sauce before serving it.

C1 The archaeologists doused the ancient artifacts with preservative to prevent decay.

C2 The gardener doused the plants with fertilizer to help them grow.

Examples of douse in a Sentence

formal The firefighters had to douse the flames with water to prevent the spread of the fire.

informal I accidentally doused myself with water while trying to water the plants.

slang He doused his fries with ketchup before digging in.

figurative She doused her anger with a deep breath before responding calmly.

Grammatical Forms of douse

• past tense: doused
• plural: douses
• comparative: more doused
• superlative: most doused
• present tense: douse
• future tense: will douse
• perfect tense: have doused
• continuous tense: is dousing
• singular: douses
• positive degree: douse
• infinitive: to douse
• gerund: dousing
• participle: dousing

Origin and Evolution of douse

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'douse' originated from Middle English 'dowsen' which came from Old English 'dūsian' meaning to extinguish or put out a fire.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'douse' has retained its original meaning of extinguishing or putting out a fire, but it has also evolved to be used in a more general sense of wetting or soaking something thoroughly.