— spouter , n. — spoutless , adj. — spoutlike , adj.
/spowt/ , v.t.
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.
v.i.
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.
n.
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, esp. 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. Brit. Slang. pawnshop.
14. up the spout , Brit. Slang.
a. pawned.
b. in a desperate situation; beyond help: His financial affairs are up the spout.
[ 1300-50; (v.) ME spouten; c. D spuiten; akin to ON spyta to SPIT 1 ; (n.) ME spowt ( e ) pipe, akin to the n. ]
Syn. 3, 4. squirt, stream, pour. See flow. 5. declaim, rant, harangue, speechify. 6. nozzle, nose.