souse
souse Lexical Profile
souse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Food, especially the feet, ears, and trimmings of a pig, that has been steeped or boiled in a seasoned pickling liquid, or the pickling brine itself.
"The traditional country market sold jars of homemade souse alongside smoked sausages and cured hams."
A habitual drunkard or an intoxicated person (informal).
"In the old comedy routines, the actor frequently played alovable, bumbling souse."
An act of plunging, drenching, or submerging something in liquid.
"A quick souse in the cold mountain stream woke the hikers up immediately."
• verb
To plunge into liquid, or to drench or soak thoroughly.
"The deckhands had to souse the wooden planks with seawater every morning to keep them from shrinking in the heat."
To steep or cook food, especially fish or meat, in a seasoned pickling liquid or vinegar marinade.
"Coastal cooks often souse fresh herring in vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaves to preserve the catch."
To make or become intoxicated with alcoholic drink (informal, usually in the passive).
"Several guests got thoroughly soused on spiced rum punch before dinner was even served."
• Rhymes for souse
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English, from Old French sous, souz ('pickled pork'), borrowed from Old High German sulza ('brine, salted water'), which is related to the root of 'salt'. The slang senses relating to drunkenness developed metaphorically from the idea of being thoroughly soaked or pickled in liquid.