spout

1 of 2

verb

spouted; spouting; spouts

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1
: to issue with force or in a jet : spurt
2
: to eject material (such as liquid) in a jet
3
spouter noun

spout

2 of 2

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
b
: the blowing of a whale
3
archaic : pawnshop
spouted adjective

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
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

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.

Kids Definition

spout

1 of 2 verb
1
: to shoot (as liquid) out with force
wells spouting oil
2
: to speak with a long and quick flow of words so as to sound important
3
: to flow out with force : spurt
blood spouted from the wound
spouter noun

spout

2 of 2 noun
1
: a tube, pipe, or hole through which something (as rainwater) spouts
2
: a sudden strong stream of fluid

More from Merriam-Webster on spout

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