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souse

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To plunge, immerse, or drench suddenly in liquid; to pickle in brine; as a noun, a drenching or heavy downpour of rain or snow falling violently.

Detailed Definition
“Souse” conveys sudden drenching—soused in wine, soused by storm. In poetry, it symbolizes overwhelming force or baptismal renewal. The term’s robustness suits dynamic action. Poets use it to explore how immersion transforms, where sousing cleanses or drowns, reinforcing themes of rebirth, chaos, and elemental power in narrative and symbolic contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He soused his bread in broth,” in a rustic meal; In nautical verse: “The deck was soused by waves”; “She soused her anger in cold water”; “The rain soused the festival to silence”; “Souse not your spirit in despair”; The priest soused the brow with holy water.
Additional Notes
“Souse” implies total, often violent immersion—“soused in wine” or “soused by rain”; in baptismal or purgative metaphors, it can signal cleansing or overwhelming force, depending on context and tone.
Also Known As
dunk plunge soak
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