Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dowse” come from?

dowse (English) comes from English douse, from Middle English duschen, from Old English dwǣsċan — to extinguish; to put out, extinguish, destroy.

dowse (English): Alternative form of douse; To use the dipping or...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of douse; To use the dipping or...

Ancestry of “dowse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdouseTo plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to...
2Middle Englishduschen—
3Old Englishdwǣsċanto extinguish; to put out, extinguish, destroy

Words derived from “dowse”

  • dowsing
  • dowser
  • ダウジング
Every word from Old English dwǣsċan →