Douse
/daʊs/noun
To pour liquid over something or to extinguish a flame.
Did you know?Douse is historically linked to a family of words meaning to plunge or immerse, and it later picked up the sense of extinguishing a flame by soaking it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deu-
“to plunge, sink, or drown”
Old French
OF
doissier
“to soak or drench”
Middle English
ME
dousen
“to wet thoroughly or extinguish by pouring water on”
16th Century
English
douse
“to drench or extinguish with liquid”
Modern English
English
douse
“to pour liquid over something or extinguish a flame”