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drowse

Pronunciation: /ˈdɹaʊ̯z/

The English word “drowse” has 7 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To make (someone or something) heavy with drowsiness or sleepiness.
  2. Followed by away: to pass (time) drowsily or in sleeping; also, to proceed (on a way) drowsily or sleepily.
  3. To make (someone or something) dull or inactive, as if from sleepiness.
  4. Often followed by away or off: to be drowsy or sleepy; to be half-asleep.
  5. To be dull or inactive, as if from sleepiness.

noun

  1. An act, or a state, of being drowsy or sleepy.
  2. A state of dullness or inactivity, as if from sleepiness.

Etymology

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…

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