Dousing
/ˈdaʊ.zɪŋ/noun
The act of drenching something with liquid or extinguishing something, especially a flame, with water.
Did you know?Although it sounds mystical, douse is probably a variant of the older word dowse, and its history is tied to the practical act of soaking or extinguishing rather than any occult ritual.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheu-
“to be smoky, to rise in vapor”
Old English
OE
dūswian
“to suffocate, stifle, or extinguish”
Middle English
ME
dousen / dowsen
“to put out, smother, or dampen”
16th Century
English
douse
“to plunge into water or drench thoroughly”
Modern English
English
dousing
“the act of drenching or extinguishing with liquid”