spoutless
verb (used with object)
1.
to emit or discharge forcibly (a liquid, granulated substance, etc.) in a stream or jet.
2.
Informal. to state or declaim volubly or in an oratorical manner: He spouted his theories on foreign policy for the better part of the night.
verb (used without object)
3.
to discharge, as a liquid, in a jet or continuous stream.
4.
to issue forth with force, as liquid or other material through a narrow orifice.
5.
Informal. to talk or speak at some length or in an oratorical manner.
00:10
Spoutless
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
noun
Idioms 6.
a pipe, tube, or liplike projection through or by which a liquid is discharged, poured, or conveyed.
7.
a trough or shoot for discharging or conveying grain, flour, etc.
8.
a waterspout.
9.
a continuous stream of liquid, granulated substance, etc., discharged from or as if from a pipe, tube, shoot, etc.
10.
a spring of water.
11.
a downpour or fall, especially of water, from a high place; waterfall.
12.
a dumbwaiter or chute, formerly common in pawnbrokers' shops, by which articles pawned were sent to another floor for storage.
13.
British Slang. pawnshop.
14.
up the spout, British Slang.
a.
pawned.
b.
in a desperate situation; beyond help: His financial affairs are up the spout.
Origin:
1300–50; (v.) Middle English spouten; cognate with Dutch spuiten; akin to Old Norse spȳta to spit1; (noun) Middle English spowt(e) pipe, akin to the noun
1300–50; (v.) Middle English spouten; cognate with Dutch spuiten; akin to Old Norse spȳta to spit1; (noun) Middle English spowt(e) pipe, akin to the noun
Related forms
spout·er, noun
spout·less, adjective
spout·like, adjective
Synonyms
3, 4. squirt, stream, pour. See flow. 5. declaim, rant, harangue, speechify. 6. nozzle, nose.
3, 4. squirt, stream, pour. See flow. 5. declaim, rant, harangue, speechify. 6. nozzle, nose.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To spoutless
Collins
World English Dictionary
spout (spaʊt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to discharge (a liquid) in a continuous jet or in spurts, esp through a narrow gap or under pressure, or (of a liquid) to gush thus |
| 2. | (of a whale, etc) to discharge air through the blowhole, so that it forms a spray at the surface of the water |
| 3. | informal to utter (a stream of words) on a subject, often at length |
| —n | |
| 4. | a tube, pipe, chute, etc, allowing the passage or pouring of liquids, grain, etc |
| 5. | a continuous stream or jet of liquid |
| 6. | short for waterspout |
| 7. | slang up the spout |
| a. ruined or lost: any hope of rescue is right up the spout | |
| b. pregnant | |
| [C14: perhaps from Middle Dutch spouten, from Old Norse spyta to spit] | |
| 'spouter | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
spout
early 14c., related to M.Du. spoiten "to spout," N.Fris. spütji "spout, squirt," Swed. sputa "to spout," and probably M.Du. spuwen "to spit" (see spew). Meaning "to talk, declaim" is recorded from 1610s. The noun is first recorded late 14c. It was the slang term for the
lift in a pawnbroker's shop, up which articles were taken for storage, hence fig. phrase up the spout "lost, hopeless, gone beyond recall" (1812).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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