gout

[ gout ]
See synonyms for gout on Thesaurus.com
noun
  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.

Origin of gout

1
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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gout in a sentence

  • Great gouts of flame shot upward, and smoke, and flying earth and debris.

    Flight From Tomorrow | Henry Beam Piper
  • But what is this stream of bad language from the Exhaust Pipe, accompanied by gouts of smoke and vapour?

  • The blood bubbled in hot gouts from his wound, but the tears came faster from his eyes.

    Mated from the Morgue | John Augustus O'Shea
  • Great gouts of clotted foam flew over his head in clouds, and plastered his rock with shivering sponges.

  • To their mass of black it gave blots and gouts of purple and blue and scarlet, coming through the dight panes.

    The Fifth Queen Crowned | Ford Madox Ford

British Dictionary definitions for gout (1 of 2)

gout

/ (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

Origin of gout

1
C13: from Old French goute gout (thought to result from drops of humours), from Latin gutta a drop

Derived forms of gout

  • gouty, adjective
  • goutily, adverb
  • goutiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for goût (2 of 2)

goût

/ French (ɡu) /


noun
  1. taste or good taste

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

Scientific definitions for gout

gout

[ 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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for gout

gout

[ (gowt) ]


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.

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.