gargoyle
a grotesquely carved figure of a human or animal.
a spout, terminating in a grotesque representation of a human or animal figure with open mouth, projecting from the gutter of a building for throwing rainwater clear of a building.
Origin of gargoyle
1Other words from gargoyle
- gargoyled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gargoyle in a sentence
As for the long list of gargoyles to be encountered during this process, I've already disgorged myself about the MB.
It is broken here and there by gargoyles projecting almost three feet from the wall.
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle | C. King EleyBut the Gargoyles were clever enough not to attack the horse the next time.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz | L. Frank BaumThis noiseless motion was one of the most peculiar things about the Gargoyles.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz | L. Frank Baum"What the Gargoyles most dread is a noise," said the man's voice.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz | L. Frank Baum
Zeb ran and picked up one of the Gargoyles that lay nearest to him.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz | L. Frank Baum
British Dictionary definitions for gargoyle
/ (ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl) /
a waterspout carved in the form of a grotesque face or creature and projecting from a roof gutter, esp of a Gothic church
any grotesque ornament or projection, esp on a building
a person with a grotesque appearance
Origin of gargoyle
1Derived forms of gargoyle
- gargoyled, adjective
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
Cultural definitions for gargoyle
A sculpture depicting grotesque human shapes or evil spirits used in many buildings of the Middle Ages, most notably on Gothic cathedrals (see also cathedral). Some gargoyles drained rainwater, sending it clear of the walls of the building.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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