▪ I. † caˈrouse, adv. Obs.
Also garaus, carous.
[a. Ger. gar aus, in gar-aus trinken to drink ‘all out’, to empty the bowl. Cf. all out, the English phrase in same sense. In 16th c. F., Rabelais has boire carrous et alluz.]
In the phrase to drink, quaff (pledge one) carouse: i.e. to the bottom, to drink a full bumper to his health.
| 1567 Drant Horace Ep. i. 18 The tiplinge sottes at mid⁓night which to quaffe carowse do vse. 1586 T. B. tr. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1589) 193 Rather than they wil refuse to drink carouse. 1600 Rowlands Lett. Humours Blood (1874) 43 His hostesse pledg'd him not carouse [rime house]. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xxvii. i, Some againe drinking garaus. 1667 E. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. i. (1684) 40. |
▪ II. carouse, n.
(kəˈraʊz)
Forms: (6 garouse), 6–7 carous, car(r)owse, -ouse, 7 car(r)ousse, carrouze, (caraus, garaus, -ausse, karausse), 7–9 carouze, 6– carouse.
[The prec. adv. in phrase to drink carouse, taken for obj. of the vb.: cf. F. une carrousse, Sp. carauz, also from Ger. The word formerly rimed with house, mouse; the pronunciation (-aʊz) appeared first in the vb., c 1660 (cf. grass, graze, advice, advise, etc.), and subsequently spread to sense 3 of the n., taken as a deriv. of the vb.]
† 1. The action or fashion of ‘drinking carouse’.
| 1559 Mirr. Mag. 610 (R.) Lyæus fruitful cup with full carowse Went round about. 1600 Rowlands Lett. Humours Blood vii. (1874) 13 Drinke some braue health vpon the Dutch carouse..Or visit Shorditch, for a bawdie house. 1611 Rich Honest. Age (1844) Introd. 19 Their best was, I drinke to you, and I pledge yee; some shallow-witted drunkard found out the Carowse. |
† 2. A cupful drunk ‘all out’, a full draught of liquor, a full bumper to one's health, a toast. Obs. bef. 1700 (but used by Scott).
| 1594 Drayton Ideas vii, Quaffing Carowses in this costly Wine. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. ii. 277 Quaffe carowses to our Mistresse health. 1611 Rowland Four Knaves (1843) 13, I..will drinke a healths carouse. 1611 Cotgr., Carous, a carousse of drinke. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. ii. iii. 86 All which garausses he must drinke. 1674 Milton Hist. Mosc. Wks. 1738 II. 145 The Emperor standing up, drank a deep Carouse to the Queen's Health. 1813 Scott Rokeby i. vii, Quaff the full carouze. |
3. A drinking bout; a carousal; carousing.
| 1690 W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. 228 Bassus at the Thracian carowse. 1725 Pope Odyss. i. 480 The early feast and late carouse. 1833 H. Martineau Manch. Strike i. 8 To go to the Spread-eagle and have a carouse. 1851 Longfellow Gold. Leg., Refectory ad fin., What means this revel and carouse? |
▪ III. carouse, v.
(kəˈraʊz)
Forms: 6 karous, garouse, carous, 6–7 carrouse, car(r)owse, 7 garousse, carrowze, -ouze, 7–8 carowze, -ouze, 6– carouse.
[f. carouse adv.: cf. F. carousser ‘to quaff, swill, carouse it’ (Cotgr.).]
1. intr. To drink ‘all out’, drink freely and repeatedly. So to carouse it.
| 1567 Drant Horace Ep. xiv, I that in tune and out of time, karoust it without measure. 1596 Raleigh Discov. Guiana (1848) 64 Some..garoused of his wine til they were reasonable pleasant. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 349 To quaffe and carouse again vpon it more lustily. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Carouse..to drink all out. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. xv. 173 To procure Wine and carouze with him, which they did, and he got beastly drunk. 1779 Johnson L.P., Thomson Wks. IV. 167 Thomson..carousing with lord Hertford and his friends. 1827 Pollock Course T. iv, Drinking from the well of life, And yet carousing in the cup of death. 1875 B. Taylor Faust I. vi. 102 |
b. To drink a bumper to (any one), to drink health or success to.
| 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. (1877) i. 107 Swilling, gulling and carowsing from one to another. 1594 Lyly Moth. Bomb. ii. i. 92, I carouse to Prisius, and brinch you mas Sperantius. 1604 Shakes. Ham. v. ii. 300 (2nd Qo.) The Queene Carowses [1st Qo. drinkes] to thy fortune Hamlet. |
† 2. trans. To drink off or up, to drain, to quaff, to swill; to drink (a health). Obs.
| 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 432 The Glasses wher-in you carouse your wine. 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. iii. 55 Roderigo..To Desdemona hath to night Carrows'd Potations, pottle-deepe. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 162 Some Gentlewomen were so free in this excesse, as they would..garousse health after health with men. 1683 Tryon Way to Health 168 To Carrouze strong Drink, Brandy, Wine. 1742 Young Nt. Th. v. 545 Egypt's wanton queen, Carousing gems. |
b. fig.
| 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. 23 Carrouse vp your owne quarrels in the cup. 1645 Quarles Sol. Recant. i. 20 Why doe we thus..carouse full Bowles Of boyling anguish? 1660 W. Secker Nonsuch Prof. 11 If the Cup be lawful we must not carouze it. |