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douche

 - 6 dictionary results

douche

[doosh] noun, verb, douched, douch⋅ing.
–noun
1. a jet or current of water, sometimes with a dissolved medicating or cleansing agent, applied to a body part, organ, or cavity for medicinal or hygienic purposes.
2. the application of such a jet.
3. an instrument, as a syringe, for administering it.
4. a bath administered by such a jet.
–verb (used with object)
5. to apply a douche to.
–verb (used without object)
6. to use a douche or douches; undergo douching.

Origin:
1675–85; < F < It doccia water pipe, back formation from doccione drainpipe (where -one was taken as aug. suffix) < L ductiōn- (s. of ductiō) drawing off, conveying (water), equiv. to duct(us), ptp. of dūcere (see ductile ) + -iōn- -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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douche   (dōōsh)   
n.  
    1. A stream of water, often containing medicinal or cleansing agents, that is applied to a body part or cavity for hygienic or therapeutic purposes.

    2. A stream of air applied in a similar way.

  1. The application of a douche.

  2. An instrument for applying a douche.

v.   douched, douch·ing, douch·es

v.   tr.
To cleanse or treat by means of a douche.
v.   intr.
To cleanse or treat oneself with a douche.

[French, shower, from Italian doccia, conduit, back-formation from doccione, pipe, from Latin ductiō, ductiōn-, act of leading, from ductus, past participle of dūcere, to lead; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

douche 
1766, from Fr. douche, from It. doccia "shower," from docciare "to spray," from L. ductionem "a leading," from ducere "to lead" (see duke). The verb is first attested 1838.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1douche
Pronunciation: 'düsh
Function: noun
1 a : a jet or current especially of water directed against a part or into acavity of the body b : an act of cleansing with a douche
2 : a device for giving douches

Main Entry: 2douche
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: douched; douch·ing
transitive senses
: to administer or apply a doucheto douche intransitive senses
: to take a douche
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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douche (d&oomacr;sh)
n.

  1. A stream of water, often containing medicinal or cleansing agents, that is applied to a body part or cavity for hygienic or therapeutic purposes.

  2. An instrument for applying a douche.

v. douched, douch·ing, douch·es
To cleanse or treat by means of a douche.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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