1
a
: 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, poorest, or most vulgar level or condition of human life
lost his fortune and wound up in the gutter
4
informal
—used usually humorously to refer to sexual thoughts
Get your mind out of the gutter.
guttered; guttering; gutters
1
a
: 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
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the gutter
especially
: marked by extreme vulgarity, cheapness, or indecency
gutter politics
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
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2025
While some paid to have headstones moved, many stayed in San Francisco and were later used in building projects including gutters and a breakwater.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
Like guttering candles, the rebellion spent itself in uncoordinated risings at different times in different parts of the country.
—Joseph Patrick Kelly, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gutter
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show current usage.
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Noun
Beyond pipe replacements, some residents on the east side have been waiting for the city to add sidewalks and underground gutters as many communities still have a ditch gutter system to manage the water, which can be problematic for nearby homes due to flooding risk.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2025
While some paid to have headstones moved, many stayed in San Francisco and were later used in building projects including gutters and a breakwater.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Footage showed the swimmer leaning extremely far over the glass edge before losing balance and toppling onto the pool's guttering below.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025
Like guttering candles, the rebellion spent itself in uncoordinated risings at different times in different parts of the country.
—Joseph Patrick Kelly, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for gutter
Cite this Entry
“Gutter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gutter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gutter
1 of 2 noun
gut·ter
ˈgət-ər 
1
a
: a trough along the eaves of a house to catch and carry off water
b
: a low area (as at a roadside) to carry off surface water
2
: a narrow channel or groove
gutter
2 of 2 verb1
: to form gutters in
2
a
: to flow in small streams
b
: to melt away by having wax stream down in channels
a guttering candle
3
: to flicker in a draft
Medical Definition
gutter
noun
gut·ter
ˈgət-ər
: 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)
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