dowse

See also: Dowse

English

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daʊs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Verb

dowse (third-person singular simple present dowses, present participle dowsing, simple past and past participle dowsed)

1. Alternative form of douse (“to plunge into water”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daʊs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Verb

dowse (third-person singular simple present dowses, present participle dowsing, simple past and past participle dowsed)

1. Alternative form of douse (“to strike”)

Noun

dowse (plural dowses)

1. Alternative form of douse (“strike”)

Etymology 3

Unknown; originally a dialectal term from southern England.

Pronunciation

• enPR: daus, dauz, IPA^(key): /daʊs/, /daʊz/
• Rhymes: -aʊz

Verb

dowse (third-person singular simple present dowses, present participle dowsing, simple past and past participle dowsed)

1. (intransitive) To use the dipping or divining rod, as in search of water, ore, etc.

Derived terms

• dowsing rod

Anagrams

• Swedo-, sowed

Middle English

Noun

dowse

1. Alternative form of douce