pour

verb \ ˈpȯr \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: pour in a Sentence

Definition of pour

poured; pouring; pours

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 \ˈpȯr-ər\ noun

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pouringly

play \ˈpȯr-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

People began pouring in from New Jersey just to be on Manhattan during a blackout.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "July 14, 1977: Blackout hits N.Y.," 14 July 2018
The pumps had held the water at bay until the last moments, when one of the industrial-sized hoses burst, pouring water back into the cave.

— shibani mahtani, Washington Post, "‘Time is running out’: Inside the treacherous rescue of boys trapped in a Thai cave," 13 July 2018
Reynolds added a stack of Bradbury's books and a Hispanic girl reading one, with images of space and the child astronaut pouring out of the pages.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Artist behind Ray Bradbury mural in Waukegan hopes his work will inspire kids who don't have access to art," 13 July 2018
In two weeks, this thin barley broth, called wort, will ferment into beer, be transferred to kegs, and poured from the taps on the other side of the cinder block wall.

— lara korte, WSJ, "New York Sees Boom in Craft Breweries, With More on Tap," 12 July 2018
Frustrated by discolored drinking water pouring from their taps, four Compton residents filed a class-action lawsuit late Monday against their water provider, Sativa Los Angeles County Water District.

— angel jennings, latimes.com, "Customers sue embattled Compton water district over discolored water," 10 July 2018
From bowls and from buckets, poured from windows onto unsuspecting passerby below and between consenting dousers in village centers, water throwing on Vardavar is a holiday unique to Armenia.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "The Point of Armenia’s Splashy Holiday is Getting Wet," 3 July 2018
After a few seconds, blue smoke starts pouring from the top of the box.

— jen juneau, PEOPLE.com, "Watch the Potentially Explosive Moment Jersey Shore's Deena Cortese Learned She Was Having a Boy," 3 July 2018
Cars honk overhead; trucks at the Boston Sand & Gravel plant pour dusty loads from one pile to another; wind sometimes shakes the trees lining the Charles River.

— amelia nierenberg, BostonGlobe.com, "Lynch Family Skatepark offers teenagers discipline, camaraderie, freedom," 2 July 2018

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

pour Synonyms

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

While the service was professional and inviting, and the food was reasonably priced for the complexity of the preparation, the prices of the wines by the glass seemed high and the pours small.

— michael bauer, SFChronicle.com, "Sorrel off to a stellar start in Pacific Heights," 6 July 2018
But getting a perfect pour of the traditional Guinness stout served straight from the factory will still require an overseas trip.

— ronnie crocker, Houston Chronicle, "Vacation planner: Guinness readies U.S. brewery for August opening," 3 July 2018
The plastic cap seals tight to hold carbonation, and a unique one-handed design ensures a perfect pour.

— the editors, Outside Online, "All Hydro Flask Products Are 25% Off Right Now," 26 June 2018
Your ticket includes 15 3-ounce pours, commemorative glass and your choice of more than 75 sour beers.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Cheers! to Baskin-Robbins' wine and ice cream pairings," 31 May 2018
This is a contemplative pour, and like each in this trio, deliciously distinct.

— ellen bhang, BostonGlobe.com, "These Provençal pours are not the rosé you expect," 28 May 2018
Recent pours have included pineapple sour, caramel apple stout, farmhouse cherry and double IPA.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "Double 8 grocery stores: Here's what they are now," 1 May 2018
Finally, those with VIP level tickets will have higher level pours, including Alabama's own Clyde May's Cask Strength.

— shauna stuart, AL.com, "BourbonHam: Birmingham, Bourbon 101, and Beyond," 21 Jan. 2018
In between pours, don't forget to use a good champagne stopper to preserve all the delicious bubbles!

— micaela english, Town & Country, "10 Ways To Drink Champagne Like An Expert," 15 Feb. 2017

First Known Use of pour

1790

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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