What does sousing mean?
Sousing is the present participle of “souse,” meaning to immerse or plunge something in water or another liquid. It is especially associated with briefly dunking a person or part of the body, as in giving someone a thorough or good sousing. In cooking, sousing describes soaking or pickling food in brine, a traditional method used for fish, meat, and vegetables before further preparation. The word occurs in both British and American English but is less common than more neutral alternatives such as “soaking,” “dunking,” or “immersing.” Its image of being plunged beneath a liquid gives it a vivid, slightly playful quality, particularly in older or humorous expressions. For preserving food, however, “sousing” is an established and precise culinary term. The word ultimately comes through French from a source meaning “under,” reflecting its original association with placing something beneath the surface of a liquid.
verbTo immerse or plunge something briefly in water or another liquid. In culinary use, to soak or pickle something in brine.
- To immerse or plunge something, especially a person or part of the body, briefly in water or another liquid.
- To soak or pickle food, especially meat, fish, or vegetables, in brine.
"After the storm, she stood in the doorway sousing her feet in a bucket of warm water."
"The children were forever sousing one another in the shallow pond."
"The recipe calls for sousing the fish in brine before smoking it."
Its French ancestor meant “under,” so sousing literally describes putting something under the water.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sousing come from?
The verb descends from Middle English and Anglo-French forms related to Old French “sous,” meaning “under.” The French element in turn reflects Latin “sub,” the source of related English words such as “submerge,” “submerged,” and “submarine.” Its history includes both the general sense of immersion and the older culinary sense of preserving food in brine.
Related word forms
How sousing is actually used
Sousing is less common in everyday speech than the straightforward verbs “dunking” and “soaking.” Its culinary sense is familiar, while its use for plunging or drenching a person often has a humorous or old-fashioned tone.
Easily confused with sousing
Sowing means planting seeds or scattering them for growth, whereas sousing means immersing something in liquid or pickling it in brine.