gargoyle

gargoyle
noun Etymology: Middle English gargule, gargoyl, from Old French gargoule Date: 13th century 1. a. a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building b. a grotesquely carved figure 2. a person with an ugly face • gargoyled adjective

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Gargoyle — bezeichnet: Wasserspeier (englisch Gargoyle, französisch Gargouille) Gargoyle Island, eine unbewohnte Insel im Nordpazifik, die zu den Fox Islands gehört Gargoyleosaurus, ein Vogelbeckensaurier des Oberjura eine Spielfigur aus dem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • gargoyle — ► NOUN ▪ a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of a building, usually as a spout to carry water clear of a wall. ORIGIN Old French gargouille throat , also gargoyle …   English terms dictionary

  • Gargoyle — Gar goyle, n. [OE. garguilie, gargouille, cf. Sp. g[ a]rgola, prob. fr. the same source as F. gorge throat, influenced by L. gargarizare to gargle. See {Gorge} and cf. {Gargle}, {Gargarize}.] (Arch.) A spout projecting from the roof gutter of a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gargoyle — grotesque carved waterspout, late 13c., gargurl, from O.Fr. gargole throat, waterspout (see GARGLE (Cf. gargle)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • gargoyle — [gär′goil΄] n. [ME gargule, throat < OFr gargouille: see GARGLE] 1. a waterspout, usually in the form of a grotesquely carved animal or fantastic creature, projecting from the gutter of a building 2. a projecting ornament (on a building) that… …   English World dictionary

  • Gargoyle — In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building. The term originates from the French gargouille, originally throat or gullet ;cite book|author=Houghton …   Wikipedia

  • gargoyle — gargoyled, adj. /gahr goyl/, n. 1. a grotesquely carved figure of a human or animal. 2. a spout, terminating in a grotesque representation of a human or animal figure with open mouth, projecting from the gutter of a building for throwing rain… …   Universalium

  • gargoyle — UK [ˈɡɑː(r)ɡɔɪl] / US [ˈɡɑrˌɡɔɪl] noun [countable] Word forms gargoyle : singular gargoyle plural gargoyles a stone statue of an ugly creature, used mainly on old churches for directing water away from the roof …   English dictionary

  • gargoyle — noun /ˈɡɑː.ɡɔɪl,ˈɡɑɹ.ɡɔɪl/ a) A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters. From between set teeth came now a flow of oaths and imprecations as steady as the flow of water from the gargoyle overhead. b) Any… …   Wiktionary

  • gargoyle — [15] The ancient root *garg , *gurgoriginated as an imitation of throat sounds. From it were derived such guttural words as Greek gargaraaizein ‘gargle’ (whence Latin gargarizāre ‘gargle’) and Latin gurguliō ‘gullet’ (Latin gurges, source of… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • gargoyle — [[t]gɑ͟ː(r)gɔɪl[/t]] gargoyles N COUNT A gargoyle is a decorative stone carving on old buildings. It is usually shaped like the head of a strange and ugly creature, and water drains through it from the roof of the building …   English dictionary

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