pour

verb \ ˈpȯr \

Definition of pour

transitive verb

1 a :to cause to flow in a stream

b :to dispense from a container

poured drinks for everyone

2 :to supply or produce freely or copiously

poured money into the project

3 :to give full expression to :vent

poured out his feelings

intransitive verb

1 :to move with a continuous flow

2 :to rain hard

3 :to move or come continuously :stream

complaints poured in

4 :to score easily or freely (as in basketball) —used with in

poured in 30 points

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pourable

play \ˈpȯr-ə-bəl\ adjective

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pourer

play \-ər\ noun

—

pouringly

play \-iŋ-lē\ adverb

See pour defined for English-language learners

See pour defined for kids

Examples of pour in a Sentence

He carefully poured the water into her glass.
Pour the sauce over the pasta.
She poured salt into the palm of her hand and then sprinkled it over the stew.
The smokestacks poured out thick clouds of black smoke.
The burst pipe poured out water.
The concrete foundation has been poured.
Can I pour you some lemonade?
Smoke poured out from the chimney.
Sweat was pouring from her brow.

Recent Examples of pour from the Web

So, the affidavit says, Gaspar went to the stove, boiled a pot of water and poured it on Smith.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "She poured boiling water on her child’s NFL-bound father. She won’t be prosecuted," 29 Aug. 2017
Crews have already torn out sidewalks along that portion of the street in preparation for pouring new concrete.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Cicero spruce-up underway in Oak Forest," 29 Aug. 2017
Since then, MAPS has poured millions into trials of MDMA, for PTSD and other conditions, and has taken the lead in conducting them.

— kai kupferschmidt, Science | AAAS, "All clear for the decisive trial of ecstasy in PTSD patients," 27 Aug. 2017
Scene 3: Pour yourself another glass of wine and get into this colorful, crunchy, flavorful dinner before passing out at 10 p.m. Happy Friday!

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "This Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Recipe Takes 15 Minutes and Is So Satisfying," 25 Aug. 2017
The problem originates when people pour hot cooking fat or grease down their drains.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "'Fatbergs' Are the Scourge of City Sewers," 17 Aug. 2017
Another video profiled Burnell Colton, an entrepreneur who poured his life savings into opening a grocery store in the food desert of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina.

— martha c. white, New York Times, "A Quirky Flavored-Water Brand Tries to Grow Up," 13 Aug. 2017
In the garden of the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a dedicated Dom Perignon pop-up by the fountain will pour glasses of vintages 2000 and 2006 DP through Sept. 16.

— elin mccoy, Bloomberg.com, "A Champagne Bar Boom Pairs Bubbly With Hot Dogs, Dumplings, Tater Tots," 10 Aug. 2017
The odor of gasoline that permeated several houses in the Beards Hill and Woodcrest area Monday likely came from gas poured into the city's sanitary sewer system, Aberdeen officials said Tuesday.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Gas smell in Aberdeen sewer spreads to homes," 20 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of pour

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

pour Synonyms

Synonyms

stream

Antonyms

back up

Related Words

ladle, spoon; cascade, trickle; deluge, flood, inundate, overflow

Near Antonyms

clot, coagulate, congeal, gel, harden, set

pour

noun

Definition of pour

1 :the action of pouring :stream

2 a :an instance of pouring or an amount poured

b :a heavy fall of rain :downpour

Recent Examples of pour from the Web

The bread service here includes a generous pour of Greek olive oil, black olive tapenade and a roasted pepper coulis.

— carlos frías, miamiherald, "We rated 11 favorite Miami Spice restaurants so you don’t have to," 23 Aug. 2017
Pour 3 ounces 7-Up into an old fashioned glass with an ice cube and a lemon slice.

— helin jung, Cosmopolitan, "22 Spooky Halloween Cocktail Concoctions," 15 Aug. 2017
Many fields in the country-side were flooded by the heavy down-pour, and in some cases cornfields were laid flat.

— kitty conley, Post-Tribune, "Lake County Star Newspaper Almanac," 31 July 2017
Commemorative 16-ounce pint glasses are available for purchase and include pours from the breweries.

— denise harris, star-telegram, "Bring back the ’90s and rock out at the Vans Warped Tour this week in DFW," 26 July 2017
The other tickets come with unlimited pours and more swag.)

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Comic-Con's unofficial beer festival returns," 20 July 2017
On Friday, June 30, the brewery will donate $1 for every pour.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Fairhope Brewing: Have a beer, save a baby pelican," 29 June 2017
The opening menu of drinks feature cocktails ($10), two alcohol-free options ($5), and a modest wine list with by-the-glass pours ($10 to $12), also available by the bottle (most hover at $40).

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "HaiSous' opening menu shows promise of chef Thai Dang's kitchen," 23 June 2017
The cost includes a take-home pint glass and four 6-ounce pours.

— kathy flanigan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Not just for tourists: A guide to 19 entertaining brewery tours in Milwaukee," 21 June 2017

First Known Use of pour

1790

Other Climate/Meteorology Terms

monsoon, occlusion, ozone, rime, squall, zephyr

POUR Defined for English Language Learners

pour

verb

Definition of pour for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to flow in a steady stream from or into a container or place
: to fill a cup or glass with a drink for someone
: to flow or move continuously in a steady stream