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Gutter vs Spouting - What's the difference?

gutter | spouting |

As nouns the difference between gutter and spouting

is that gutter is a prepared channel in a surface, especially at the side of a road adjacent to a curb, intended for the drainage of water while spouting is the process or result of something being spouted; that which is spouted.

As a verb gutter

is to flow or stream; to form gutters.

As an adjective spouting is

that is propelled in a narrow stream or jet.

gutter

English

(Street gutter)

Etymology 1

(etyl) gotere, from (etyl) goutiere (French

Noun

(en noun)
  • A prepared channel in a surface, especially at the side of a road adjacent to a curb, intended for the drainage of water.
  • *
  • A ditch along the side of a road.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
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  • A duct or channel beneath the eaves of a building to carry rain water; eavestrough.
    • The gutters must be cleared of leaves a few times a year.
  • A groove down the sides of a bowling lane.
  • A large groove (commonly behind animals) in a barn used for the collection and removal of animal excrement.
  • Any narrow channel or groove, such as one formed by erosion in the vent of a gun from repeated firing.
  • A space between printed columns of text.
  • (philately) An unprinted space between rows of stamps.
  • (British) A drainage channel.
  • The notional locus of things, acts, or events which are distasteful, ill bred or morally questionable.
  • (figuratively) A low, vulgar state.
    • Get your mind out of the gutter .
    What kind of gutter language is that? I ought to wash your mouth out with soap.
    Derived terms
    * gutter ball, gutterball * gutter member * guttermouth * gutter plane * guttersnipe * gutter stick
    See also
    (pedia) * gout

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To flow or stream; to form gutters.
  • (of a candle) To melt away by having the molten wax run down along the side of the candle.
  • (of a small flame) To flicker as if about to be extinguished.
  • To send (a bowling ball) into the gutter, not hitting any pins.
  • To supply with a gutter or gutters.
    • (Dryden)
  • To cut or form into small longitudinal hollows; to channel.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who or that which guts.
  • * 1921 , Bernie Babcock, The Coming of the King (page 151)
    • A Galilean Rabbi? When did this Province of diggers in dirt and gutters of fish send forth Rabbis? Thou makest a jest.
  • * 2013 , Don Keith, ?Shelley Stewart, Mattie C.'s Boy: The Shelley Stewart Story (page 34)
    • An old, rusty coat hanger made a rudimentary fish-gutter .
    ----

    spouting

    English

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (of a liquid) That is propelled in a narrow stream or jet.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • The process or result of something being spouted; that which is spouted.
    • Spoutings of lava shot from the crest of the volcano.
    The spoutings of a large whale can be seen from a great distance.
  • * 1804 , The Boiling Water-Spouts of Iceland'', R. S. Kirby (editor), ''Kirby?s Wonderful and Scientific Museum , Volume 2, page 85,
    • After these spoutings , the great Geyser remained quiet the whole night ; the water in the meanwhile rose gradually, and the bason was filled about four in the morning.
  • * 2002 February, Bob Sillery, How it Works: Old Faithful'', '' , page 83,
    • The average interval between its spoutings is 78 minutes.
  • * 2005 , Joseph Frank, 5: Spatial Form in Modern Literature'', Michael J. Hoffman, Patrick D. Murphy (editors), ''Essentials of the Theory of Fiction , page 70,
    • Saint-Loup, for another thing, is by way of being a family black sheep: seemingly uninterested in social success, a devoted student of Nietzsche and Proudhon, we are told that his head was full of “socialistic spoutings ,” and that he was “imbued with the most prgound contempt for his caste.”
  • (Australia, New Zealand) A gutter under the eaves of a building; guttering.
    • The spouting was filled with leaves and needed cleaning.
  • * 1984 , R. J. Willson, Building Your Own House: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to the New Zealand Timber Framed House , page 212,
    • These items will include:
    galvanised-steel spoutings and downpipes — if used.
  • * 2002 , Brenda Niall, The Boyds , 2007, Melbourne University Press, page 207,
    • The old house, neglected for so many years, needed painting and repairs: the roof leaked and the spoutings had rusted.
  • * 2003 , Russell Stewart, The Dolphin , Trafford Publishing, Canada, page 9,
    • Water trickles away from gutterings and down spoutings into the big water tank at the back of the house.