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• gout
  gout

  noun

  an acute, recurrent disease characterized by painful inflammation of the joints, chiefly those in the feet and hands, and especially in the great toe, and by an excess of uric acid in the blood.
• goût
  goût

  noun

  taste or good taste

gout

American  

[gout] / gaʊt /

noun

• gouts
  plural

1. an acute, recurrent disease characterized by painful inflammation of the joints, chiefly those in the feet and hands, and especially in the great toe, and by an excess of uric acid in the blood.

2. a mass or splash, as of blood; spurt.

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goût ¹ British  

/ ɡu /

noun

1. taste or good taste

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gout ² British  

/ ɡaʊt /

noun

1. a metabolic disease characterized by painful inflammation of certain joints, esp of the big toe and foot, caused by deposits of sodium urate in them

2. archaic a drop or splash, esp of blood

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gout Scientific  

/ gout /

1. An inherited disorder of uric acid metabolism occurring predominantly in men, characterized by painful inflammation of the joints. Elevated levels of uric acid in the blood result in deposition of crystals of uric acid salts (known as urates) around the joints, causing arthritis. The condition can become chronic and result in deformity.

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gout Cultural  

1. A disorder of metabolism characterized by attacks of painful inflammation in the joints, particularly those of the feet and hands. The inflammation is caused by the deposition of crystals of uric acid in the joints. Gout occurs most often in middle-aged men. The tendency toward developing gout is inherited. Stress, fatigue, or excessive exercise are among the factors that can bring on an attack.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• goutiness
  noun
• gouty
  adjective
• goutily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gout

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English goute, from Old French, from Latin gutta “a drop (of fluid)”; gout in the feet formerly was attributed to drops of a corrupted humor

Explanation

Gout is a painful illness that causes hot, red, swollen joints. Once known as a disease of the wealthy and gluttonous, gout can be exacerbated by eating rich, fatty foods. Gout sounds like an old-fashioned condition, and it is often associated with famous historical figures who suffered from it, like King Henry VIII and Alexander the Great. However, it's fairly common today, possibly due to high-fat diets and longer life expectancies. The word gout comes from a Latin root gutta, or "drop," from the ancient belief that it was caused by drops of "humors" spilling into the joints from the blood.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gout goût gouts

While partying with the French isn’t the same as surviving the winter at Valley Forge, it did take a toll on Franklin, who suffered excruciating pain from gout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The Welshman struggled with gout in his ankle all night in Nottingham, but while his walking was hampered his throw certainly was not.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

Crystalys, which is developing a treatment for gout, found replacements and disclosed a $205 million Series A round in September.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026

Despite how common the condition is, understanding of gout remains limited among both patients and the general public.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2026

The plant would be a valuable pain reliever for Old Benedikt, who was suffering from gout.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

It originally played around with the French word goût – meaning taste – before it realised people might think it was called gout, after the disease.

From The Guardian ● May 27, 2013

After all, food and drink involve an element of personal taste—chacun à son goût, as the French say—and the greatest beer for you isn’t necessarily the greatest beer for me.

From Slate ● May 16, 2012

And le goût du wok returned in a dish of al dente black rice stir-fried with spinach, spinach shoots and green onions.

From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2010

The best “Southdown” would, perhaps, be as distasteful to them as monkey meat would be to you; so here again we are met by that same eternal proverb,—Chacun à son goût.

From Popular Adventure Tales by Mayne Reid

The French lay marked stress on mesure et goût, and they own how much they owe to Molière for leading them in simple justness and taste. 

From An Essay on comedy and the uses of the comic spirit by George Meredith

Occasionally, its operators revved its engine until the tires burned out, which sent gouts of flame and plumes of foul white smoke into the scorching air to block our view of the Washington Monument.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

Outside St. James Cathedral, rain came down in gouts, spilling down the front steps and inside the vaulted sanctuary.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 23, 2021

Forests fell to the mills that provided the first burst of manufacturing wealth in the 18th century and that produced gaping tracts that poured great gouts of mud into the river.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2019

Up close you see that the smudges are clusters of toy figures — tipped-over carts, fallen horses soldiers — stuck to the canvas surface with engulfing gouts of pigment.

From New York Times ● Sep. 27, 2018

The serpent spat gouts of black poison toward them.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• appetite
• palate