Nautical Term: Dowse
Definition of Dowse
The act of bringing in or lowering a sail on a vessel is referred to as dowsing. This term also applies to the action of putting out a light, such as a lantern or a navigation light on a ship. Lastly, the term dowsing can also be used to describe the action of covering an object or a surface with water.
For instance, during a heavy rainstorm, the sailors on board a merchant ship might need to secure all sails to prevent them from tearing or billowing in the wind. To do this, they would need to dows or lower all sails and secure them with ropes and cleats.
Explore other nautical terms:
