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

She continued to call Oliver “an undoubtedly intelligent person spouts absolute bull***t to support something he wants to be true, but isn’t.”

From Salon

The bright orange-and-red water spouts off the cliff with the visual intensity of a raging forest fire.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Sales of food pouches — soft bags with plastic spouts for easy consumption — have increased 900% since 2010, overtaking jarred purees as the predominant baby food on the market.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gush