▪ I. douce, a.
(duːs)
Also, 4–9 douse, 5–8 dowse, 5–9 dowce. β. 5–7 doulce, 6 doulx (in sense 1).
[ME. douce, dowce, a. OF. dolz, dols, dous, later doux, fem. douce, also 15–16th c. doulce, = Pr. dolz, dous, It. dolce, Sp. dulce:—L. dulcis sweet.]
† 1. Sweet, pleasant. (A well-known epithet of France, from Chanson de Roland onwards.) Obs.
| [a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. 111 Oure dame douse shal sitten hym by. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 122 And diues in deyntees lyued and in douce vye.] c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1269 We buþ knyȝtes alle y-vere: y-born in douce fraunce. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 32 Powder dowce and salt also. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvi. 367 Ye shall never maye retourne in to douce Fraunce agayne. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 22 b, Whan..sommer draweth nere, it [an apple] waxeth mellowe douce & pleasaunt. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. iv. lviii. (1887) 251 Sa douse in exhortatione. 1614 Forbes Comm. Revelation 126 (Jam.) The douce sounde of harpes. |
| β c 1477 Caxton Jason 18 b, To mete doulce regarde. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. xiv. (1883) 154 The lawes..beyng in pure latine or doulce frenche. c 1540 Ld. Southampton & Bp. of Ely in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 111 With doulx and myld wordes. 1542 Boorde Dyetary xxi. (1870) 283 Peares..melow and doulce. a 1577 Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. ii. iii. (1609) 43 Doulce and gentle termes. |
2. Quiet, sober, steady, gently sedate; not light, flighty, or frivolous. Sc. and north. dial.
| 1728 Ramsay Adv. to Mr. ― on his Marriage 16 I've given a douce advice and plain. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' in Chambers Pop. Hum. Scot. Poems (1862) 36 The lads and lasses a' grow douse. 1816 Scott Old Mort. iv, A douce woman she was, civil to the customers. 1825 in Brockett N.C. Words. 1850 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 129, I think the new servant will do; she looks douce, intelligent. 1868 Helps Realmah vii. (1876) 158 Realmah and the Ainah talked on in the douce, quiet way. |
Hence ˈdoucely adv.; ˈdouceness.
| 1621 S. Ward Happiness of Practice (1627) 14 Some luscious delight, yea, a kind of rauishing doucenesse there is in studying good Bookes. 1786 Burns Earnest Cry & Prayer 3 An' doucely manage our affairs In parliament. 1822 Galt Steam-Boat 191 (Jam.) The natural douceness of my character. 1850 R. Simpson Mem. of Worth ii. 20 Mr. Hislop was riding doucely along this track. |
▪ II. † douce, v. Obs. rare.
In 5 dowce, 7 doulce.
[Aphetic f. adoulce, adouce, a. OF. adoulcir, adoucir to sweeten: see addulce.]
trans. To sweeten; to soften, mollify, soothe.
| c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 7 With sugur candy þou may hit dowce. 1600 Holland Livy xxiii. xvi. 484 The yong mans stout heart was so doulced, mollified, and easie to bee wrought. |
▪ III. douce
var. of douse.