ret vs dowse

ret is not a noun while dowse is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
ret	No	No	Yes	No
dowse	Yes	No	Yes	No

As verbs, dowse is a hypernym of ret; that is, dowse is a word with a broader meaning than ret:

ret: place (flax, hemp, or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibers from the woody tissue
dowse: cover with liquid; pour liquid onto

Other hypernyms of ret include douse, drench, soak, sop, souse.

ret (noun)	dowse (noun)
	searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod

ret (verb)	dowse (verb)
place (flax, hemp, or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibers from the woody tissue	cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
	slacken
	use a divining rod in search of underground water or metal
	wet thoroughly