Part 534

As "to fell," is "to make to fall," and "to lay," to make to lie." so "to drench," is "to make to drink."

Trench.

2. To steep in moisture; to wet thoroughly; to soak; to saturate with water or other liquid; to immerse.

Now dam the ditches and the floods restrain; Their moisture has already drenched the plain.

Dryden.

Drench, n. [AS. drenc. See Drench, v. t.] A drink; a draught; specifically, a potion of medicine poured or forced down the throat; also, a potion that causes purging. "A drench of wine." Dryden.

Give my roan horse a drench.

Shak.

Drench, n. [AS. dreng warrior, soldier, akin to Icel. drengr.] (O. Eng. Law) A military vassal mentioned in Domesday Book. [Obs.] Burrill.

Drench"e (?), v. t. & i. To drown. [Obs.]

In the sea he drenched.

Chaucer.

Drench"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, west or steeps.

2. One who administers a drench.

Dren"gage (?), n. (O. Eng. Law) The tenure by which a drench held land. [Obs.] Burrill.

Drent (?), p. p. [See Dreinte.] Drenched; drowned. [Obs.] "Condemned to be drent." Spenser.

Dres"den ware` (?). A superior kind of decorated porcelain made near Dresden in Saxony.

Dress (drs), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dressed (drst) or Drest; p. pr. & vb. n. Dressing.] [OF. drecier to make straight, raise, set up, prepare, arrange, F. dresser, (assumed) LL. directiare, fr. L. dirigere, directum, to direct; dis- + regere to rule. See Right, and cf. Address, Adroit, Direct, Dirge.] 1. To direct; to put right or straight; to regulate; to order. [Obs.]

At all times thou shalt bless God and pray Him to dress thy ways.

Chaucer.

Dress is used reflexively in Old English, in sense of "to direct one's step; to address one's self."

To Grisild again will I me dresse.

Chaucer.

2. (Mil.) To arrange in exact continuity of line, as soldiers; commonly to adjust to a straight line and at proper distance; to align; as, to dress the ranks.

3. (Med.) To treat methodically with remedies, bandages, or curative appliances, as a sore, an ulcer, a wound, or a wounded or diseased part.

4. To adjust; to put in good order; to arrange; specifically: (a) To prepare for use; to fit for any use; to render suitable for an intended purpose; to get ready; as, to dress a slain animal; to dress meat; to dress leather or cloth; to dress or trim a lamp; to dress a garden; to dress a horse, by currying and rubbing; to dress grain, by cleansing it; in mining and metallurgy, to dress ores, by sorting and separating them.

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And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it.