drench / drench/ • v. [tr.] 1. (usu. be drenched) wet thoroughly; soak: I fell in the stream and got drenched | [as n.] (drenching) a severe drenching would kill his uncle. ∎ fig. cover (something) liberally or thoroughly: cool patios drenched in flowers | [as adj. , in comb.] (-drenched) a sun-drenched clearing. 2. forcibly administer a drug in liquid form orally to (an animal).• n. a dose of medicine administered to an animal. ∎ archaic a draft of a medicinal or poisonous liquid.

drench draught, potion OE.; medicinal dose for an animal XVI. OE. drenċ :- Gmc. *draŋkiz, f. *draŋk-, var. of *driŋk- DRINK; corr., with variation of declension, to OS. dranc, OHG. tranc (G. trank), ON. drekka, Goth. dragk.
So drench make to drink OE. (now spec. in veterinary lang.); †submerge, drown; soak, saturate XIII, wet through XVI. OE. drenċan = OS. drenkian, OHG. trenchen (G. tränken), ON. drekkja, Goth. dragkjan :- Gmc. *draŋkjan.