See Also: touse(dictionary)

dom (iou) and touse (iou)


dom (iou)



-dom suffix.
[Old English -dom = Old Saxon -dom (Dutch -dom), Old High German -tuom (German -tum), use as suffix of Old English dom DOOM noun1, Old High German tuom position, condition, dignity.]
Forming nouns from nouns and adjectives with the senses 'rank, condition', 'domain', as in earldom, freedom, kingdom.
Forming nouns from nouns as collect. pl. or with the sense 'the ways of s' as in officialdom.

touse (iou)



touse verb & noun. Also towse, towze. ME.
[Corresp. to Low German tusen pull or shake about, Old High German zirzuson, erzusen tear to pieces, German zausen: prob. already in Old English. In Middle English only with prefixes be-, to-. Cf. TOUSLE.]
A. verb.
verb trans. Pull roughly about, handle roughly, = TOUSLE verb 1; (of a dog) tear at, worry. Now Scot. & dial. ME.
b. Pull out of joint, rack. rare (Shakes.). Only in E17.
verb intrans. Tussle; fig. rummage. M16-L17.
verb trans. Tease (wool). Long obsolete exc. Scot. L16.
b. noun.
Rough pulling about, horseplay; commotion, uproar, fuss. dial. L18.
= TOUSLE noun 2. dial. L19.
tousing noun (chiefly dial.) (a) the action of the verb; an instance of this; (b) a beating, a defeat: M16.