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downspout

American  
[doun-spout] / ˈdaʊnˌspaʊt /

noun

  1. a pipe for conveying rainwater from a roof or gutter to the ground or to a drain.


downspout British  
/ ˈdaʊnˌspaʊt /

noun

  1. Also called: drainpipe.   downpipe.  a pipe for carrying rainwater from a roof gutter to the ground or to a drain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of downspout

First recorded in 1895–1900; down 1 + spout

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Nearby, an old downspout has been refashioned into a sign with handwritten instructions to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 3, 2024

In most cases, using downspout extensions or troughs is necessary to achieve this distance.

From Washington Post May 19, 2021

A single 2-by-3-inch downspout will handle 600 square feet of roof area, while a single 3-by-4-inch downspout will handle 1,200 square feet of roof area.

From Seattle Times Jan. 8, 2021

Luckily for them, a downspout from an elevated road emptied into the parking lot at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, where some of the team members worked.

From New York Times Dec. 3, 2020

Luckily, that problem turned out to be nothing more than a tennis ball lodged in a downspout.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

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