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Douse vs Dive - What's the difference?

douse | dive |

As nouns the difference between douse and dive

is that douse is a blow; stroke while dive is .

As a verb douse

is (ambitransitive) to plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse or douse can be to strike.

douse

English

Etymology 1

Probably of (etyl) origin, related to (etyl) and (douse) below.

Alternative forms

*

Verb

  • (ambitransitive) To plunge suddenly into water; to duck; to immerse.
  • To fall suddenly into water.
    • (Hudibras)
  • To put out; to extinguish.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) duschen, .

    Verb

    (dous)
  • To strike.
  • (nautical) To strike or lower in haste; to slacken suddenly; as, douse the topsail.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • A blow; stroke.

    • Anagrams

    *

    dive

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) diven, duven, from the merger of (etyl) . See also (l), (l).

    Verb

  • To swim under water.
  • To jump into water head-first.
  • * Whately
    • It is not that pearls fetch a high price because men have dived for them.
  • To descend sharply or steeply.
  • (especially with in ) To undertake with enthusiasm.
    • She dove right in and started making improvements.
  • (sports) To deliberately fall down after a challenge, imitating being fouled, in the hope of getting one's opponent penalised.
  • To cause to descend, dunk; to plunge something into water.
    • (Hooker)
  • To explore by diving; to plunge into.
  • * Denham
    • The Curtii bravely dived the gulf of fame.
  • * Emerson
    • He dives the hollow, climbs the steeps.
  • (figurative) To plunge or to go deeply into any subject, question, business, etc.; to penetrate; to explore.
    • (South)
    Usage notes
    The past tense dove'' is found chiefly in North American English, where it is used alongside the regular (and earlier) ''dived'', with regional variations; in British English ''dived'' is the standard past tense, ''dove'' existing only in some dialects. As a past participle, ''dove'' is relatively rare. (Compare ''Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary''; ''The American Heritage Dictionary''; ''The Cambridge Guide to English Usage )
    Related terms
    * scuba diving * duck dive

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A jump or plunge into water.
  • A swim under water.
  • A decline.
  • (slang) A seedy bar, nightclub, etc.
  • (aviation) Aerial descend with the nose pointed down.
  • (sports) A deliberate fall after a challenge.
    • Related terms
    * divebomb * nosedive * swandive/swan-dive/swan dive

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl); see diva.

    Noun

    (head)

    • Anagrams

    * English irregular verbs ----