spout

1 of 2

verb

ˈspau̇t 

spouted; spouting; spouts

transitive verb

1

: to eject (liquid) in a stream

wells spouting oil

2

a

: to speak or utter readily, volubly, and at length

b

: to speak or utter in a pompous or oratorical manner : declaim

a candidate spouting empty promises

intransitive verb

1

: to issue with force or in a jet : spurt

2

: to eject material (such as liquid) in a jet

3

: declaim

spouter noun

spout

2 of 2

noun

1

: a pipe or conductor through which a liquid is discharged or conveyed in a stream: such as

a

: a pipe for carrying rainwater from a roof

b

: a projecting tube or lip from which a liquid (such as water) issues

2

: a discharge or jet of liquid or moisture from or as if from a pipe: such as

a

: waterspout

b

: the blowing of a whale

3

archaic : pawnshop

spouted

ˈspau̇-təd 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• gush
• jet
• pour
• rush
• spew
• spurt
• squirt
• swoosh

Noun

• drainpipe
• eaves trough
• gutter
• rainspout
• trough
• waterspout

Examples of spout in a Sentence

Verb

The well was spouting oil.

She kept spouting on and on about politics.

Noun

Water was flowing from the spout.

the spout of a tea kettle

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The bright orange-and-red water spouts off the cliff with the visual intensity of a raging forest fire. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024

But discoveries of ocean worlds on Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter’s Europa, both of which have spouted similar-looking plumes, have made scientists cautiously hopeful that the Neptunian moon could also be harboring a sodden secret. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024

Noun

This stainless steel option has no locking lid, no pour spout, and a base that gets moderately hot during cooking. —Alida Nugent, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024

How to Clean Faucet Head Residue and Buildup To fix this problem, use pliers to gently grip and unscrew the aerator from the faucet’s spout. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English; akin to Middle Dutch spoiten to spout, Old English spīwan to spew

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing spout

• up the spout

Kids Definition

spout

1 of 2 verb

ˈspau̇t 

1

: to shoot (as liquid) out with force

wells spouting oil

2

: to speak with a long and quick flow of words so as to sound important

3

: to flow out with force : spurt

blood spouted from the wound

spouter noun

spout

2 of 2 noun

1

: a tube, pipe, or hole through which something (as rainwater) spouts

2

: a sudden strong stream of fluid