English word origin

Etymology of dout

From Middle English doute (“doubt”). More at doubt.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

Obsolete spelling of doubt. · Misspelling of doubt.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English doute (“doubt”). More at doubt.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentiondouteenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "doute",
        "4": "",
        "5": "doubt"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English doute (“doubt”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "doute#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "doubt#English"
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  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Obsolete spelling of doubt.",
        "Misspelling of doubt."
      ],
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        "obsolete",
        "misspelling"
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To put out; quench; extinguish; douse.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Blend of do + out, from Middle English don ut (“do out”). Compare don, doff, dup.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Blend componentdoen
Blend componentouten

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "blend",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "do",
        "3": "out"
      },
      "expansion": "Blend of do + out"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "",
        "4": "don ut",
        "5": "do out"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English don ut (“do out”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "do",
      "do#English"
    ],
    [
      "out",
      "out#English"
    ],
    [
      "don",
      "don#English"
    ],
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      "doff",
      "doff#English"
    ],
    [
      "dup",
      "dup#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To put out; quench; extinguish; douse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dialectal",
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dout →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZG91dA