gargoyle

[ gahr-goil ]
See synonyms for gargoyle on Thesaurus.com
noun
  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 rainwater clear of a building.

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Origin of gargoyle

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English gargoile, from Old French gargouille, gargoule literally, “throat”; see gargle

Other words from gargoyle

  • gargoyled, adjective

Words Nearby gargoyle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gargoyle in a sentence

  • Harsh gargoyle face that warred against me over our mess of hash of lights in rue Saint-Andr-des-Arts.

    Ulysses | James Joyce
  • However that may have been, Noyes is rich in ancient lattice and stained glass, and curious lead-work and gargoyle.

    Notwithstanding | Mary Cholmondeley

British Dictionary definitions for gargoyle

gargoyle

/ (ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl) /


noun
  1. a waterspout carved in the form of a grotesque face or creature and projecting from a roof gutter, esp of a Gothic church

  2. any grotesque ornament or projection, esp on a building

  1. a person with a grotesque appearance

Origin of gargoyle

1
C15: from Old French gargouille gargoyle, throat; see gargle

Derived forms of gargoyle

  • gargoyled, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for gargoyle

gargoyle

A sculpture depicting grotesque human shapes or evil spirits used in many buildings of the Middle Ages, most notably on Gothic cathedrals (see also cathedral). Some gargoyles drained rainwater, sending it clear of the walls of the building.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.