drown
verb/dɹaʊn/ · [d̠͡ɹ̠˔ʷaʊn]
Etymology
From Middle English drownen, drounen, drunen (“to drown”), of obscure and uncertain origin. The OED suggests an unattested Old English form *drūnian. Harper 2001 points to Old English druncnian, ġedruncnian (> Middle English drunknen, dronknen (“to drown”)), "probably influenced" by Old Norse drukkna (cf. Icelandic drukkna, Danish drukne (“to drown”)). Funk & Wagnall's has 'of uncertain origin'. It has been theorised (see e.g. ODS) that it may represent a direct loan of Old Norse drukkna, but this is described by the OED as being "on phonetic and other grounds [...] highly improbable", unless one considers the possibility of an unattested variant in Old Norse *drunkna.
To die from suffocation while immersed in water or other fluid.
- When I was a baby, I nearly drowned in the bathtub.
- Old woes, not infant sorrows, bear them mild / Continuance tames the one; the other wild, / Like an unpractised swimmer plunging still, / With too much labour drowns for want of skill.1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC:
To kill by suffocating in water or another liquid.
- The car thief fought with an officer and tried to drown a police dog before being shot while escaping.
- The pretty-vaulting sea refused to drown me, / Knowing that thou wouldst have me drown’d on shore, / With tears as salt as sea, through thy unkindness:1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
To be flooded: to be inundated with or submerged in (literally) water or (figuratively) other things; to be overwhelmed.
- We are drowning in information but starving for wisdom.
- Penny Guy: Bloody hell, Rog, whadda you want? / Roger O'Neill: To drown in your arms and hide in yer eyes, darlin'.1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 2:
1 more example
- The first-century Jewish woman Miriam of Nazareth, also held in faith to be Theotokos, the God-bearer, is arguably the most celebrated woman in the Christian tradition. One could almost drown surveying the ways different eras have honored her in painting, sculpture, icons, architecture, music and poetry; venerated her with titles, liturgies, prayers and feasts; and taught about her in spiritual writings, theology and official doctrine.2000 June 17, Elizabeth A. Johnson, “Mary of Nazareth: Friend of God and Prophet”, in America, volume 182, number 21:
Figuratively To inundate, submerge, overwhelm.
- He drowns his sorrows in buckets of chocolate ice cream.
- Though most men being in sensuall pleasures drownd, / It seemes their Soules but in the Senses are.1599, John Davies, Nosce Teipsum, London: John Standish, page 19:
3 more examples
- Come, thou monarch of the vine, / Plumpy Bacchus with pink eyne! / In thy fats our cares be drown’d, / With thy grapes our hairs be crown’d:c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
- My private Voice is drown’d amid the Senate’s.1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 23:
- Unluckily that worthy Officer having, in a literal Sense, taken his Fill of Liquor, had been some Time retired to his Bolster, where he was snoaring so loud, that it was not easy to convey a Noise in at his Ears capable of drowning that which issued from his Nostrils.1749, Henry Fielding, chapter XIV, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VII, pages 71–72:
Figuratively To obscure, particularly amid an overwhelming volume of other items.
Usually passive voice
- The answers intelligence services seek are often drowned in the flood of information they can now gather.
- Derived terms
- a drowning man will clutch at a straw, a drowning man will grab at a straw, a drowning man will grab at straws, a drowning man will grasp at a straw, a drowning man will grasp at straws, drownable, drownage, drowned, drowned tube, drownee, drowner, drowning, drown one's sorrows, drown out, drownproof, drown the miller, overdrown, surround and drown, too much water drowned the miller, undrown