dowse vs douse
dowse
Definitions
verb
- wet thoroughly
- cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
- use a divining rod in search of underground water or metal
- slacken
noun
- searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod
Examples
Traditional rural dowsers used wooden sticks to locate underground water.
The dowser was looking as dazed and embarrassed as I felt, thank God.
They would not be fooled by my claim that I knew the tunnels because I was a dowser.
douse
Definitions
verb
- wet thoroughly
- dip into a liquid
- lower quickly
- immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
- cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
Examples
Their bodies were then doused with petrol and burned in a garden.
All doctors have been doused in a variety of bodily fluids.
She ran to alert neighbours who battled in vain to douse the blaze until firefighters arrived.
