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Webster 1913 Edition

Rouse

Rouse

(rouz or rous)
,
Verb.
I.
&
T.
[Perhaps the same word as
rouse
to start up, “buckle to.”]
(Naut.)
To pull or haul strongly and all together, as upon a rope, without the assistance of mechanical appliances.

Rouse

(rouz)
,
Noun.
[Cf. D.
roes
drunkeness, icel.
rūss
, Sw.
rus
, G.
rauchen
, and also E.
rouse
, v.t.,
rush
, v.i. Cf.
Row
a disturbance.]
1.
A bumper in honor of a toast or health.
[Obs.]
Shak.
2.
A carousal; a festival; a drinking frolic.
Fill the cup, and fill the can,
Have a
rouse
before the morn.
Tennyson.

Rouse

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Roused
(rouzd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Rousing
.]
[Probably of Scan. origin; cf. Sw.
rusa
to rush, Dan.
ruse
, AS.
hreósan
to fall, rush. Cf.
Rush
,
Verb.
]
1.
To cause to start from a covert or lurking place;
as, to
rouse
a deer or other animal of the chase
.
Like wild boars late
roused
out of the brakes.
Spenser.
Rouse
the fleet hart, and cheer the opening hound.
Pope.
2.
To wake from sleep or repose;
as, to
rouse
one early or suddenly
.
3.
To excite to lively thought or action from a state of idleness, languor, stupidity, or indifference;
as, to
rouse
the faculties, passions, or emotions
.
To
rouse
up a people, the most phlegmatic of any in Christendom.
Atterbury.
4.
To put in motion; to stir up; to agitate.
Blustering winds, which all night long
Had
roused
the sea.
Milton.
5.
To raise; to make erect.
[Obs.]
Spenser. Shak.

Rouse

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To get or start up; to rise.
[Obs.]
Night’s black agents to their preys do
rouse
.
Shakespeare
2.
To awake from sleep or repose.
Morpheus
rouses
from his bed.
Pope.
3.
To be exited to thought or action from a state of indolence or inattention.

Webster 1828 Edition

Rouse

ROUSE

,
Verb.
T.
rouz. [This word, written also arouse, seems to belong to the family of raise or rush. See Raise.]
1.
To wake from sleep or repose. Gen. 49.
2.
To excite to thought or action from a state of idleness, languor, stupidity or inattention.
3.
To put into action; to agitate.
Blust'ring winds that rous'd the sea.
4.
To drive a beast from his den or place of rest.

ROUSE

, v.i.
1.
To awake from sleep or repose.
Morpheus rouses from his bed.
2.
To be excited to thought or action from a state of indolence, sluggishness, languor or inattention.

ROUSE

,
Verb.
I.
In seamen's language, to pull together upon a cable, &c. without the assistance of tackles or other mechanical power.

ROUSE

,
Noun.
rouz.
A full glass of liquor; a bumper in honor of a health. Obs.

Definition 2024

Rouse

Rouse

See also: rouse

English

Proper noun

Rouse

  1. A surname​.
  2. A census-designated place in California.

rouse

rouse

See also: Rouse

English

Alternative forms

Noun

rouse ‎(plural rouses)

  1. An arousal.
  2. (military, Britain and Canada) The sounding of a bugle in the morning after reveille, to signal that soldiers are to rise from bed, often the rouse.

Verb

rouse ‎(third-person singular simple present rouses, present participle rousing, simple past and past participle roused)

  1. To wake or be awoken from sleep, or from apathy.
    to rouse the faculties, passions, or emotions
    • Atterbury
      to rouse up a people, the most phlegmatic of any in Christendom
    • Shakespeare
      Night's black agents to their preys do rouse.
    • Alexander Pope
      Morpheus rouses from his bed.
  2. To provoke (someone) to anger or action.
    • Milton
      Blustering winds, which all night long / Had roused the sea.
  3. To cause to start from a covert or lurking place.
    to rouse a deer or other animal of the chase
    • Spenser
      Like wild boars late roused out of the brakes.
    • Alexander Pope
      Rouse the fleet hart, and cheer the opening hound.
  4. (nautical) To pull by main strength; to haul.
  5. (obsolete) To raise; to make erect.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  6. (slang, when followed by "on") To tell off; to criticise.
    He roused on her for being late yet again.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

[Late 16th Century] From carouse, from rebracketing of the phrase “drink carouse” as “drink a rouse”.

Noun

rouse ‎(plural rouses)

  1. An official ceremony over drinks.
    And the King's rouse the heaven shall bruit again,
    Re-speaking earthly thunder. - "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, act 1 scene 2 lines 127-128
  2. A carousal; a festival; a drinking frolic.
    • Tennyson
      Fill the cup, and fill the can, / Have a rouse before the morn.
  3. Wine or other liquor considered an inducement to mirth or drunkenness; a full glass; a bumper.

Anagrams

References

  • Brachet, An etymological dictionary of the French language

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman reuser, ruser, originally used in English of hawks shaking the feathers of the body, from Latin recusare, by loss of the medial 'c.' Related to Provencal reusar.

Figurative meaning "to stir up, provoke to activity" is from 1580s; that of "awaken" is first recorded 1590s.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɹaʊz/
  • Rhymes: -aʊz

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