Added 10 October 2026
drowse
/ˈdɹaʊ̯z/ verb
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about drowse at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- To make (someone or something) heavy with drowsiness or sleepiness. Followed by away: to pass (time) drowsily or in sleeping; also, to proceed (on a way) drowsily or sleepily. To make (someone or something) dull or inactive, as if from sleepiness.
- To make (someone or something) heavy with drowsiness or sleepiness.
- Followed by away: to pass (time) drowsily or in sleeping; also, to proceed (on a way) drowsily or sleepily.
noun
-
An act, or a state, of being drowsy or sleepy.
in a drowse
- A state of dullness or inactivity, as if from sleepiness.
Origin
The verb is either: * a back-formation from drowsy, which is attested earlier; or * possibly from Middle English *drousen (no known attestations), from Old English drūsan, drūsian (“to droop, sink; to become feeble, inactive, low, or slow, drowse”), from Proto-Germanic *drūsijaną (“to look down; mourn”) (possibly merged with *dreusaną (“to fall”)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewHs- (“to break off; to fall down”). The noun is derived from the verb.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)