pour

1 of 2

verb

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
pourable adjective
pourer noun
pouringly adverb

pour

2 of 2

noun

1
: the action of pouring : stream
2
a
: an instance of pouring or an amount poured
b
: a heavy fall of rain : downpour

Examples of pour in a Sentence

Verb 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 on the Web
Verb
Both of the bedrooms and the en suite bathrooms overlook the forested landscape, and skylights pour natural light into the home. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024 When thoroughly combined pour mixture into rimmed glass. Jeff Burkhart, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024 Azzarello took pamphlets out of his backpack and threw them around the park before pulling out a canister, pouring a liquid on himself and lighting himself on fire, Jeffrey Maddrey, NYPD's chief of department, said at a news conference. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024 The Republican Party establishment backed Jacob's opponent during the 2022 May primary and poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into defeating him after Jacob routinely butted heads with House leadership. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Apr. 2024 Employees inside the stores, which include Hit or Miss and Blockbuster Video, idly talk on the phone or pour over the occasional customer who does come in. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024 Meanwhile, reactions to Iran’s strikes have poured in from world leaders, some openly condemning Tehran, others calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and almost all urging restraint during a moment of huge tension in the Middle East. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024 Gates bought the Xanadu land in 1988 for just $2 million—but proceeded to pour about $63 million into the property—and now the entire estate is worth about $130 million. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024 For the group’s 25th anniversary, Little Big Town is pouring some sugar on it. Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
By the third pour test, the diaper couldn’t hold any more liquid. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 10 Mar. 2024 The wine list, curated by sommelier Chris Black, will highlight pours from California and around the world, including from Italy, Spain, France, Lebanon, Palestine and New Zealand. Laura Ness, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Offer a large tasting pour or even a full glass if there is enough to spare. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2024 Stanley x Pendleton offers a variety of travel products, including a coffee pour over set, stacking beer pints and classic bottles available in four patterns that are inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Hannah Chubb, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 The staff greets and treats you like family, the wines are delicious, the pours are generous, and the food is simple and delicious, like Greek cuisine should be. Shivani Vora, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Add an extra pour of tequila or orange liqueur for $1 all day. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 Lion’s Tail Brewing Company Offer: $10 beer flight that includes one 5-ounce pour of the following beers ― Pre-Game Light Lager, #90 Red Vienna Lager, Juice Cloud NEIPA, and A Lightly Fruited Sour (Violet). Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 With 50 grams of caffeine per serving, each pour is essentially like drinking a shot of espresso. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pour was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Pour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pour. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

pour

verb
ˈpō(ə)r,
ˈpȯ(ə)r
1
: to flow or to cause to flow in a stream
pour the tea
tears pouring down their cheeks
2
: to let loose something without restraint
poured out my troubles to anyone who would listen
3
: to rain very hard
pourer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on pour

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!