spout

[ spout ]

verb (used with object)

1. to emit or discharge forcibly (a liquid, granulated substance, etc.) in a stream or jet.
2. Informal. to state or declaim volubly or in an oratorical manner:

   He spouted his theories on foreign policy for the better part of the night.

verb (used without object)

1. to discharge, as a liquid, in a jet or continuous stream.

   Synonyms: pour, livestream, squirt

2. to issue forth with force, as liquid or other material through a narrow orifice.

   Synonyms: pour, livestream, squirt

3. Informal. to talk or speak at some length or in an oratorical manner.

   Synonyms: speechify, harangue, rant, declaim

noun

1. a pipe, tube, or liplike projection through or by which a liquid is discharged, poured, or conveyed.

   Synonyms: nose, nozzle

2. a trough or shoot for discharging or conveying grain, flour, etc.
3. a waterspout.
4. a continuous stream of liquid, granulated substance, etc., discharged from or as if from a pipe, tube, shoot, etc.
5. a spring of water.
6. a downpour or fall, especially of water, from a high place; waterfall.
7. a dumbwaiter or chute, formerly common in pawnbrokers' shops, by which articles pawned were sent to another floor for storage.
8. British Slang. pawnshop.

spout

/ spaʊt /

verb

1. to discharge (a liquid) in a continuous jet or in spurts, esp through a narrow gap or under pressure, or (of a liquid) to gush thus
2. (of a whale, etc) to discharge air through the blowhole, so that it forms a spray at the surface of the water
3. informal.
   to utter (a stream of words) on a subject, often at length

noun

1. a tube, pipe, chute, etc, allowing the passage or pouring of liquids, grain, etc
2. a continuous stream or jet of liquid
3. short for waterspout
4. up the spout slang.
   1. ruined or lost

      any hope of rescue is right up the spout

   2. pregnant

Derived Forms

• ˈspouter, noun

Other Words From

• spouter noun
• spoutless adjective
• spoutlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spout¹

First recorded in 1300–50; (verb) Middle English spouten; cognate with Dutch spuiten; akin to the Old Norse verb spȳta spit ¹; (noun) Middle English spowt(e) “pipe,” akin to the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of spout¹

C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch spouten, from Old Norse spyta to spit

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. up the spout, British Slang.
   1. pawned.
   2. in a desperate situation; beyond help:

      His financial affairs are up the spout.

Synonym Study

See flow.

Example Sentences

It’s one thing to spout platitudes to a reporter, quite another to do the same in front of Baby Jesus.

From Los Angeles Times

When Cynthia Ruiz turns on her kitchen faucet, she hears a slight squeak before cloudy fluid bursts out of the spout.

From Salon

In a broadcast debate, a candidate actually has to spout the lie before moderators can correct it.

From Los Angeles Times

In desperation I piled some bigger rocks on top of the spout, which forced the water into submission.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump, on the other hand, lives for media attention, even though he rarely says anything that makes sense, so they see him as a candidate playing by the rules because he makes himself available to spout his gibberish.

From Salon

Related Words

• gush