gutter

noun

gut·ter | \ ˈgə-tər

Definition of gutter

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : a trough along the eaves to catch and carry off rainwater

b : a low area (as at the edge of a street) to carry off surface water (as to a sewer)

c : a trough or groove to catch and direct something the gutters of a bowling alley

2 : a white space formed by the adjoining inside margins of two facing pages (as of a book)

3 : the lowest or most vulgar level or condition of human life

gutter

verb

guttered; guttering; gutters

Definition of gutter (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to cut or wear gutters in

2 : to provide with a gutter

intransitive verb

1a : to flow in rivulets

b of a candle : to melt away through a channel out of the side of the cup hollowed out by the burning wick

2 : to incline downward in a draft the candle flame guttering

gutter

adjective

Definition of gutter (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, relating to, or characteristic of the gutter especially : marked by extreme vulgarity, cheapness, or indecency gutter politics

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about gutter

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Examples of gutter in a Sentence

Noun

one of his chores is to clean leaves and sticks out of the gutters before winter sets in rainwater running off the road into the gutters

Adjective

a novel that does a good job of rendering the gutter language of that stratum of society

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Resurfacing is taking place between Route 83 and Center Street, including installation of curbs and gutters on the section north of Washington. — Dan Moran, Lake County News-Sun, "Moran: Washington Street repairs a reminder to expect unexpected construction," 5 June 2018 Display it from your porch or windows, or—even better—from your gutter! — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Everyone Is Freaking Out About This Crazy 'Christmas Vacation' Clark Griswold Inflatable," 10 Dec. 2018 The new funding would enable American's With Disabilities Act improvements, while previous years paid for siding and gutters, perimeter stone wall restoration, and an assessment of the 174-year-old house. — Staff, cleveland.com, "Comment here on cleveland.com court and crime stories for Monday, March 5, 2018," 5 Mar. 2018 Her roof was missing a few shingles, gutters were torn off, and there was minor damage to her siding. — Susan Demar Lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Tornado damage closes Manhattan post office," 27 June 2018 Like several readers in our comments section, our first reaction was that these people should get their minds out of the gutter. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Political Distortion of Language," 7 Oct. 2018 Rain barrels collect fresh water from rooftop gutter systems for use on lawns, city officials said in a press release. — Staff Report, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora offering discounted rain barrels," 6 June 2018 To help address the problem, the village applied for a Community Development Block Grant that, if successful, could pay for the installation of a concrete walkway with curb and gutter. — Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "Bird poop piles problematic for an otherwise picturesque New Richmond," 7 May 2018 Get your goals out of the gutter by avoiding these frequent fitness flaws: Myth: Exercise can make up for a poor diet. — Philly.com, "3 common fitness 'tips' to ignore," 17 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The cities can dictate whether or not it's curbed and guttered, concrete, setback limitations, the house size, the lot size and a number of other restrictions. — David Taylor, Houston Chronicle, "Commissioners yield to Dayton for stricter subdivision rules," 29 Mar. 2018 The flame of Indian paleontology may be guttering, but a few recent developments have buoyed spirits. — Sanjay Kumar, Science | AAAS, "India’s paleontologists fight destruction of its fossil riches," 4 Apr. 2018 Is the spirit of man extinguished at death like a candle guttered by a passing wind? — Pioneer Press Editorial Board, Twin Cities, "An Easter homily," 16 Apr. 2017 That sum would pay partially for street repaving, major bridge rehabilitation, and curb and gutter rehabilitation — all part of the Department of Public Works’ nearly $227 million bond request for deferred maintenance. — Jon Murray, The Denver Post, "Backlog of repairs may weigh down Denver’s fall bond measures, pushing out new projects," 15 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gutter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near gutter

Statistics for gutter

Last Updated

27 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for gutter

The first known use of gutter was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for gutter

gutter

noun

English Language Learners Definition of gutter

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a long, hollow device that is attached to the edges of a roof to catch rain and carry it away from a building

: a low area at the side of a road that is used to catch water and carry it away from the road

: a long, narrow low section along the sides of a bowling lane

gutter

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of gutter (Entry 2 of 2)

: of the worst kind : offensive or immoral

See the full definition for gutter in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gutter

noun

gut·ter | \ ˈgə-tər

Kids Definition of gutter

1 : a trough along the eaves of a house to catch and carry off water

2 : a low area (as at the side of a road) to carry off surface water

gutter

noun

gut·ter | \ ˈgət-ər

Medical Definition of gutter

: a depressed furrow between body parts (as on the surface between a pair of adjacent ribs or in the dorsal wall of the body cavity on either side of the spinal column)