Past tense of douse; to drench with liquid or to extinguish a fire by pouring water on it. Can also mean to suddenly put out lights.
Possibly from Middle Dutch 'dossen' meaning to strike or beat down. Another theory connects it to obsolete 'dowse' meaning to fall suddenly. The firefighting sense emerged in the 17th century, the soaking sense slightly earlier.
Before modern fire departments, 'dousing' fires was a community effort involving bucket brigades and primitive pumps. The word also appears in the phrase 'douse the lights,' a nautical term for quickly extinguishing ship lanterns - crucial for avoiding enemy detection.
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