waterspout

noun

wa·​ter·​spout ˈwȯ-tər-ˌspau̇t 

ˈwä-

1

: a pipe, duct, or orifice from which water is spouted or through which it is carried

2

: a funnel-shaped or tubular column of rotating cloud-filled wind usually extending from the underside of a cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud down to a cloud of spray torn up by the whirling winds from the surface of an ocean or lake

Synonyms of waterspout

• gutter

Examples of waterspout in a Sentence

the waterspout became clogged, and then the roof leaked

Recent Examples on the Web

The National Weather Service had warned of waterspouts, tornado-like hazards that happen over water, in the area but wasn't able to immediately confirm a tornado on the beach. — CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Videos posted to Instagram show the tornadic waterspouts, a rare weather phenomenon considered a tornado but occurring over water, which extended from the Queens shoreline as thunder boomed overhead. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026

The waterspouts — funnels of air and water mist — hit parts of the eastern Rockaways and Atlantic Beach, the weather service reported. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

And a situation similar to yesterday’s happened in 2012, when what began as a waterspout came onshore in Queens, Radell says. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for waterspout

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

waterspout

noun

wa·​ter·​spout ˈwȯt-ər-ˌspau̇t 

ˈwät-

1

: a pipe for carrying off water from a roof

2

: a column of rotating wind extending from a cloud down to a cloud of spray torn up from the surface of a body of water by the winds