gargoyle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: gar=goyle

CIDE DICTIONARY

gargoyle, n. [OE. garguilie, gargouille, cf. Sp. gárgola, prob. fr. the same source as F. gorge throat, influenced by L. gargarizare to gargle. See Gorge and cf. Gargle, Gargarize.].

 A spout projecting from the roof gutter of a building, often carved grotesquely.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gargoyle, n. a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of (esp. a Gothic) building usu. as a spout to carry water clear of a wall.

Etymology

OF gargouille throat, gargoyle

DEVIL DICTIONARY

gargoyle

n. A rain-spout projecting from the eaves of mediaeval buildings, commonly fashioned into a grotesque caricature of some personal enemy of the architect or owner of the building. This was especially the case in churches and ecclesiastical structures generally, in which the gargoyles presented a perfect rogues' gallery of local heretics and controversialists. Sometimes when a new dean and chapter were installed the old gargoyles were removed and others substituted having a closer relation to the private animosities of the new incumbents.

THESAURUS

gargoyle

baboon, bag, beak, blemish, blot, dog, downspout, eyesore, fright, hag, harridan, mess, monster, monstrosity, no beauty, scarecrow, sight, spout, teratism, ugly duckling, waterspout, witch

ROGET THESAURUS

gargoyle

Conduit

N conduit, channel, duct, watercourse, race, head race, tail race, abito, aboideau, aboiteau, bito, acequia, acequiador, acequiamadre, arroyo, adit, aqueduct, canal, trough, gutter, pantile, flume, ingate, runner, lock-weir, tedge, vena, dike, main, gully, moat, ditch, drain, sewer, culvert, cloaca, sough, kennel, siphon, piscina, pipe, funnel, tunnel, water pipe, waste pipe, emunctory, gully hole, artery, aorta, pore, spout, scupper, adjutage, ajutage, hose, gargoyle, gurgoyle, penstock, weir, flood gate, water gate, sluice, lock, valve, rose, waterworks, pipeline, vascular.