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.
a mass or splash, as of blood; spurt.
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
archaic a drop or splash, esp of blood
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
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.
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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 damp climate and the rigors of life on the march were tough for a man in his 60s who had long suffered from crippling gout and could often barely walk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 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
Despite how common the condition is, understanding of gout remains limited among both patients and the general public.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2026
Then Roy felt himself swaying and spinning as a brilliant gout of fireworks erupted inside his skull.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
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
I now, therefore, leave the amateur to choose for himself — bearing in mind the time-honoured aphorism, chacun à son goût.
Those who like a goût of acid may add a little walnut pickle.
From The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual by Kitchiner, William
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 coal cars kept trundling past until a big black steam locomotive, puffing huge gouts of white smoke, finally appeared.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
