Deluge — Defs

01 n. A washing away; an overflowing of the land by water; an inundation; a flood; specifically, The Deluge, the great flood in the days of Noah …

1.
A washing away; an overflowing of the land by water; an inundation; a flood; specifically, The Deluge, the great flood in the days of Noah (Gen. vii.).
2.
Fig.: Anything which overwhelms, or causes great destruction.
“A fiery deluge fed With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed.” — Milton.

“As I grub up some quaint old fragment of a [London] street, or a house, or a shop, or tomb or burial ground, which has still survived in the deluge.” — F. Harrison.

“After me the deluge. (Aprés moi le déluge.)” — Madame de Pompadour.

02 v. t. To overflow with water; to inundate; to overwhelm.

imp. & p. p. Deluged; p. pr. & vb. n. Deluging

1.
To overflow with water; to inundate; to overwhelm.
“The deluged earth would useless grow.” — Blackmore.
2.
To overwhelm, as with a deluge; to cover; to overspread; to overpower; to submerge; to destroy; as, the northern nations deluged the Roman empire with their armies; the land is deluged with woe.
“At length corruption, like a general flood . . . Shall deluge all.” — Pope.