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bowse

verb, noun — 3 senses

bowse

verb

Etymology From Middle English bousen, from Middle Dutch būsen, buisen, buysen (“to drink heavily”) (Dutch buizen). Related to Middle High German būsen (“to swell, inblow”). More at beer.

1

Archaic To drink excessively and socially; to carouse.

  • O generous food! Drest as though bold Robin Hood, Would, with his maid Marian, Sup and bowse from horn and can.1820, John Keats, “Lines on the Mermaid Tavern”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 131:

bowse

noun

Etymology From Middle English bousen, from Middle Dutch būsen, buisen, buysen (“to drink heavily”) (Dutch buizen). Related to Middle High German būsen (“to swell, inblow”). More at beer.

1

A carouse; a drinking bout; a booze.

Derived terms
bene bowse, booze

bowse

verb

Etymology Origin unknown.

1

Nautical, Transport To haul or hoist (something) with a tackle.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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