variant of DOWSER, one who uses the divining rod. So Jowsing, † josing.
1797. J. Billingsley, View Agric. Somerset, 22. By the help of the divining-rod vulgarly call’d josing.
1839. De Quincey, Mod. Superst., Wks. 1862, III. 323. These people are locally called jowsers.
1886. Elworthy, W. Som. Word-bk., s.v. Dowse, In some parts of the country the operation is called Jowsing, and the operator a Jowser.
