spouted; spouting; spouts
1
: to eject (liquid) in a stream
wells spouting oil
2
a
: to speak or utter readily, volubly, and at length
b
: to speak or utter in a pompous or oratorical manner : declaim
a candidate spouting empty promises
1
: to issue with force or in a jet : spurt
2
: to eject material (such as liquid) in a jet
3
: declaim
spouter
noun
1
: a pipe or conductor through which a liquid is discharged or conveyed in a stream: such as
a
: a pipe for carrying rainwater from a roof
b
: a projecting tube or lip from which a liquid (such as water) issues
2
: a discharge or jet of liquid or moisture from or as if from a pipe: such as
a
b
: the blowing of a whale
3
archaic
: pawnshop
Synonyms
Examples of spout in a Sentence
Verb
The well was spouting oil.
She kept spouting on and on about politics.
Noun
Water was flowing from the spout.
the spout of a tea kettle
Recent Examples on the Web
Kerry Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Aug. 2023
Kennedy has spent more than a decade spouting conspiracy theories with no basis in fact about vaccines.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 19 June 2023
After greatest Women’s World Cup, will FIFA boss stop spouting condescending messages?
Aug. 22, 2023
The long pause between games for most of the Galaxy was even longer for Yoshida, who last played for Schalke of the German Bundesliga in May.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023
And unlike the vast majority of other people spouting bigotry online, Mr. Orsini added, Mr. Lloyd had actually killed someone.
—Campbell Robertson, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
Also in June 2023, police say Daniel Warren broke multiple bones in the face of a Black food cart owner as Warren stomped on the owner and spouted racist slurs.
—Agreen, oregonlive, 13 Aug. 2023
The water spouts themselves are hammered directly into the mountain side, which contains a natural aquifer, and provide one last opportunity for practitioners to bathe themselves and their Shaligrams in the waters of Mustang.
—Holly Walters, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2023
One of those systems is legitimate media, which Trump constantly berates, along with his toadies like Kari Lake, the unsuccessful candidate for Arizona governor, who attacks any media that doesn’t spout the company line.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2023
The show has spawned a cult-like following by fans spouting quotes and creating memes of its most memorable moments, which inspired the names of some of the pop-up's special events, food and drink specials.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2023
WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
The stainless steel set also includes a measuring jigger, corkscrew, liquor pour spouts, and even a cocktail recipe book so your favorite couple can find a new cocktail for happy hour.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2023
In the clip, shared on TikTok, the tourist, who is dressed in white capri pants and a blue shirt, held an empty plastic bottle under one of the fountain’s waterfalls and appeared to fill up the bottle with water from the spout.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2023
Plus, the large dual pour spouts made pouring oil easy and mess-free.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2023
The black flukes of whales and their mighty spouts.
—Carl Hoffman, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023
For the chug spout, a cover with a convenient carrying handle screws over the spout for cleanliness and transport.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 31 July 2023
Morikawa hit all 14 fairways and shot up the leaderboard, weathering intermittent spouts of rain as play was moved to 6:45 a.m. from split tees and in threesomes.
—Jenna Malinowski, Detroit Free Press, 2 July 2023
This one has a glossy enamel interior, two pour spouts, and a helper handle, all of which combine for easy handling and maintenance.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 20 July 2023
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Verb
And Milan, which suddenly feels like the most forward-thinking city in Italy—a place of big ideas, investment, and innovation, busily spouting new subway lines, cutting-edge hotels, and infrastructure ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics—is more than ready to oblige.
—Kerry Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Aug. 2023
Kennedy has spent more than a decade spouting conspiracy theories with no basis in fact about vaccines.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 19 June 2023
After greatest Women’s World Cup, will FIFA boss stop spouting condescending messages?
Aug. 22, 2023
The long pause between games for most of the Galaxy was even longer for Yoshida, who last played for Schalke of the German Bundesliga in May.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023
And unlike the vast majority of other people spouting bigotry online, Mr. Orsini added, Mr. Lloyd had actually killed someone.
—Campbell Robertson, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023
Also in June 2023, police say Daniel Warren broke multiple bones in the face of a Black food cart owner as Warren stomped on the owner and spouted racist slurs.
—Agreen, oregonlive, 13 Aug. 2023
The water spouts themselves are hammered directly into the mountain side, which contains a natural aquifer, and provide one last opportunity for practitioners to bathe themselves and their Shaligrams in the waters of Mustang.
—Holly Walters, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2023
One of those systems is legitimate media, which Trump constantly berates, along with his toadies like Kari Lake, the unsuccessful candidate for Arizona governor, who attacks any media that doesn’t spout the company line.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 4 Aug. 2023
The show has spawned a cult-like following by fans spouting quotes and creating memes of its most memorable moments, which inspired the names of some of the pop-up's special events, food and drink specials.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2023
Noun
Unlike most portafilters that ship with espresso machines, this one doesn't have spouts on the bottom, so the espresso flows through the bottom of the basket and pours into a single beautiful stream of amber-golden microfoam.
—WIRED, 21 Sep. 2023
The stainless steel set also includes a measuring jigger, corkscrew, liquor pour spouts, and even a cocktail recipe book so your favorite couple can find a new cocktail for happy hour.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2023
In the clip, shared on TikTok, the tourist, who is dressed in white capri pants and a blue shirt, held an empty plastic bottle under one of the fountain’s waterfalls and appeared to fill up the bottle with water from the spout.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2023
Plus, the large dual pour spouts made pouring oil easy and mess-free.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2023
The black flukes of whales and their mighty spouts.
—Carl Hoffman, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023
For the chug spout, a cover with a convenient carrying handle screws over the spout for cleanliness and transport.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 31 July 2023
Morikawa hit all 14 fairways and shot up the leaderboard, weathering intermittent spouts of rain as play was moved to 6:45 a.m. from split tees and in threesomes.
—Jenna Malinowski, Detroit Free Press, 2 July 2023
This one has a glossy enamel interior, two pour spouts, and a helper handle, all of which combine for easy handling and maintenance.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 20 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spout.' 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; akin to Middle Dutch spoiten to spout, Old English spīwan to spew
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of spout was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing spout
Dictionary Entries Near spout
Cite this Entry
“Spout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spout. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
spout
2 of 2 noun1
: a tube, pipe, or hole through which something (as rainwater) spouts
2
: a sudden strong stream of fluid
More from Merriam-Webster on spout
Nglish: Translation of spout for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of spout for Arabic Speakers
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