Definition of "deluge" in English

noun

1. A great flood or rain.

   • The deluge continued for hours, drenching the land and slowing traffic to a halt.

2. An overwhelming amount of something; anything that overwhelms or causes great destruction.

   • The rock concert was a deluge of sound.

3. (firefighting) A system for flooding or drenching a space, container, or area with water in an emergency to prevent or extinguish a fire.

   • deluge system, deluge gun, deluge set
   • 2002, NAVEDTRA, Gunner's Mate 14324A In the event of a restrained firing or canister overtemperature condition, the deluge system sprays cooling water within the canister until the overtemperature condition no longer exists.

verb

1. (transitive) To flood with water.

   • Some areas were deluged with a month's worth of rain in 24 hours.

2. (transitive) To overwhelm.

   • After the announcement, they were deluged with requests for more information.