[A variant of BOUSE, retaining the pronunciation of ME. bouse, bowse, and spelt phonetically; perhaps really a dialectal form: cf. the Sc. and north.Eng. rooze (rūz) = literary Eng. rouse, etc. See BOUSE.]
intr. To drink deeply, or for the sake of enjoyment or goodfellowship; to tipple, guzzle, bezzle.
[c. 1300. E. E. Poems (1862), 154. Depe can ȝe bouse.
1616. Pasquil & Kath., i. 213. You must needs bouze.]
1768. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann. To booze ale.
1777. Colman, Epil. Sch. Scandal (1883), 76. While good Sir Peter boozes with the squire.
1823. Byron, Juan, XI. xix. Who … like Tom … could Booze in the ken?
1854. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 39. I won’t sit in the kitchen and boose in the servants’ hall.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 30. With few resources but to boose around the fire.
