From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Drench \Drench\, n. [AS. drenc. See Drench, v. t.]
A drink; a draught; specifically, a potion of medicine poured
or forced down the throat; also, a potion that causes
purging. "A drench of wine." --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
Give my roan horse a drench. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Drench \Drench\, n. [AS. dreng warrior, soldier, akin to Icel.
drengr.] (O. Eng. Law)
A military vassal mentioned in Domesday Book. [Obs.]
--Burrill.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Drench \Drench\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Drenched; p. pr. & vb. n.
Drenching.] [AS. drencan to give to drink, to drench, the
causal of drincan to drink; akin to D. drenken, Sw.
dr[aum]nka, G. tr[aum]nken. See Drink.]
1. To cause to drink; especially, to dose by force; to put a
potion down the throat of, as of a horse; hence. to purge
violently by physic.
[1913 Webster]
As "to fell," is "to make to fall," and "to lay," to
make to lie." so "to drench," is "to make to drink."
--Trench.
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2. To steep in moisture; to wet thoroughly; to soak; to
saturate with water or other liquid; to immerse.
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Now dam the ditches and the floods restrain;
Their moisture has already drenched the plain.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
drench
v 1: drench or submerge or be drenched or submerged; "The
tsunami swamped every boat in the harbor" [syn: swamp,
drench]
2: force to drink
3: permeate or impregnate; "The war drenched the country in
blood" [syn: imbrue, drench]
4: cover with liquid; pour liquid onto; "souse water on his hot
face" [syn: drench, douse, dowse, soak, sop,
souse]