The Nautical Encyclopedia

Patterson’s Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia — Howard Patterson, 1891

⚓ The Superstition Locker ⚓

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Home ⚓ Letter D ⚓ Douse

Douse

Sea Terms

To lower a sail; to put out a light; to cover with water.

← Doubling All “D” entries Douwe's Method →

2026 Editor's Note: 'Douse' — take in sail, smother quickly — came ashore holding a bucket: dousing lights and fires is this sail-handling word's second career. (Ed: BR 2026-06-13)

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The Nautical Encyclopedia (1891) is in the public domain; this digital edition © 2026 PhotoOpAI.