waterspout

[waw-ter-spout, wot-er-] /ˈwɔ tərˌspaʊt, ˈwɒt ər-/
noun
1.
Also called rainspout. a pipe running down the side of a house or other building to carry away water from the gutter of the roof.
2.
a spout, duct, or the like, from which water is discharged.
3.
a funnel-shaped or tubular portion of a cloud over the ocean or other body of water that, laden with mist and spray, resembles a solid column of water reaching upward to the cloud from which it hangs.
Compare tornado (def 1).
Origin
1350-1400; 1730-40 for def 3; Middle English; see water, spout
Examples from the web for waterspout
  • It often twists around and the bottom of the waterspout may move out from under the cloud.
  • He tried to swim upward but the waterspout pulled at his backpack and clothes.
British Dictionary definitions for waterspout

waterspout

/ˈwɔːtəˌspaʊt/
noun
1.
(meteorol)
  1. a tornado occurring over water that forms a column of water and mist extending between the surface and the clouds above
  2. a sudden downpour of heavy rain
2.
a pipe or channel through which water is discharged, esp one used for drainage from the gutters of a roof
Word Origin and History for waterspout
n.

late 14c., "drainpipe," from water (n.1) + spout (n.). Meaning "whirlwind on open water" is recorded from 1738.

Encyclopedia Article for waterspout

a small-diameter column of rapidly swirling air in contact with a water surface. Waterspouts are almost always produced by a swiftly growing cumulus cloud. They may assume many shapes and often occur in a series, called a waterspout family, produced by the same upward-moving air current. Waterspouts are closely related to other atmospheric phenomena such as tornadoes, whirlwinds, and fire storms.

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