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

Suddenly fog rolls in, fountains spout up from the sides of the stage, sprinklers above signal the start of a storm and then comes the main event. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Markets force participants to have skin in the game, Coplan’s logic goes; the market’s behavior, in turn, contains more wisdom than, say, pundits spouting opinions. —Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2024

Noun

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

Common critiques were that the dispenser spout was too high on the body of the dispenser and that the spout would leak after dispensing. —Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 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