Library / English Dictionary

DOWSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod

Synonyms:

dowse; dowsing; rhabdomancy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("dowse" is a kind of...):

divination; foretelling; fortune telling; soothsaying (the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural means)

Derivation:

dowse (use a divining rod in search of underground water or metal)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cover with liquid; pour liquid onto

Example:

souse water on his hot face

Synonyms:

douse; dowse; drench; soak; sop; souse

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "dowse" is one way to...):

wet (cause to become wet)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dowse"):

brine (soak in brine)

bedraggle; draggle (make wet and dirty, as from rain)

bate (soak in a special solution to soften and remove chemicals used in previous treatments)

ret (place (flax, hemp, or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibers from the woody tissue)

flush; sluice (irrigate with water from a sluice)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They dowse the cloth with water and alcohol

Sense 2

Meaning:

Slacken

Example:

douse a rope

Synonyms:

douse; dowse

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "dowse" is one way to...):

remit; slacken (make slack as by lessening tension or firmness)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Use a divining rod in search of underground water or metal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "dowse" is one way to...):

divine (search by divining, as if with a rod)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

dowse (searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod)

dowser (forked stick that is said to dip down to indicate underground water or oil)

dowser (someone who uses a divining rod to find underground water)

dowsing (searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Wet thoroughly

Synonyms:

douse; dowse

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "dowse" is one way to...):

wet (cause to become wet)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sentence example:

Water and alcohol dowse the cloth

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