▪ I. doucet, dowset
(ˈduːsɪt, ˈdaʊsɪt)
Forms: α. 5 doucete, dowcete, -ced, -sete, 5–7 dou-, dowcette, doucet, 6–9 dowset, 7 douset, dowcet, -sett, dowlcet, doulcet. β. 5 dulset, 6 dulcet.
[a. F. doucet, doucette, dim. of doux, douce sweet; also n. a sweet variety of grape, of apple, etc., and in other senses. See also dulcet.]
† 1. A sweet dish, in old cookery. Obs.
| c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. 55 Doucettes. Take Porke..& Eyroun..& melle hem to-gederys with Hony & Pepir, & bake hem in a cofyn. 1467 Mann. & Househ. Exp. 399 For viij. boshelles of flour for dowsetes. 1530 Palsgr. 215/1 Dousette a lytell flawne, dariolle. 1593 Drayton Eclogues ix. 47 Fresh Cheese, and Dowsets, Curds and clowted Creame. 1615 Markham Eng. Housew. ii. ii. (1668) 75 An excellent Custard or Dowset. 1640 King & Poor North. Man (N.), Heer's dousets and flapjacks. |
† 2. A wind instrument resembling a flute. Obs.
| α c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame iii. 131 That craftely begunne to pipe Bothe in doucet and in riede. c 1430 Lydg. Reason & Sensual., Trumpes and trumpettes, Lowde shallys and doucettes. |
| β c 1450 Holland Howlat 762 The dulset, the dulsacordis, the schalme of assay. |
3. Hunting. (pl.) The testicles of a deer.
| a 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Philaster iv. ii, He was there at the fall of a deer, and would needs..give ten groats for the dowcets. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. i. 93 Dewclawes, and Dowlcets. 1637 B. Jonson Sad Sheph. i. vi, All the sweet morsels call'd tongue, ears, and dowcets. 1638 Ford Fancies i. ii. Wks. 1869 II. 234, I am made a gelding, and, like a tame buck, have lost my dowsets. 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), Doulcets, the stones of a Hart or Stag. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 255 Red and fallow deer, whose doucets if taken away..before they have hornes, will never have any at all. 1826 Scott Woodst. iii, Broiling the umbles, or dowsets, of the deer, upon the glowing embers, with their own royal hands. |
▪ II. doucet
early form of dulcet.