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Drown vs Drench - What's the difference?

drown | drench |

As verbs the difference between drown and drench

is that drown is to be suffocated in water or other fluid; to perish by such suffocation while drench is to soak, to make very wet.

As a noun drench is

a draught administered to an animal or drench can be (obsolete|uk) a military vassal, mentioned in the domesday book.

drown

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To be suffocated in water or other fluid; to perish by such suffocation.
  • To deprive of life by immersion in water or other liquid.
  • To overwhelm in water; to submerge; to inundate.
  • To overpower; to overcome; to extinguish; — said especially of sound; usually in the form "to drown out".
  • * Sir J. Davies
  • most men being in sensual pleasures drowned
  • * Addison
  • My private voice is drowned amid the senate.
  • To lose, make hard to find or unnoticeable in an abundant mass.
  • ''The CIA gathers so much information that the actual answers it should seek are often drowned in the incessant flood of reports, recordings, satellite images etc.

    Derived terms

    * drowned * drowner * drowning * drown one's sorrows * drown out

    Synonyms

    * (overwhelm) flood

    References

    drench

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) drenchen, from (etyl) . More at drink.

    Noun

    (es)
  • A draught administered to an animal.
  • (obsolete) A drink; a draught; specifically, a potion of medicine poured or forced down the throat; also, a potion that causes purging.
  • * Dryden
  • A drench of wine.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Give my roan horse a drench .

    Verb

  • To soak, to make very wet.
  • * Dryden
  • Now dam the ditches and the floods restrain; / Their moisture has already drenched the plain.
  • To cause to drink; especially, to dose (e.g. a horse) with medicine by force.
  • Etymology 2

    Anglo-Saxon dreng warrior, soldier, akin to Icelandic drengr.

    Noun

    (es)
  • (obsolete, UK) A military vassal, mentioned in the Domesday Book.
  • (Burrill)