gargoyle
pronunciation
How to pronounce gargoyle in British English:
UK [ˈgɑ:gɔɪl]
How to pronounce gargoyle in American English:
US [ˈgɑrgɔɪl]
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- Noun:
- a spout that terminates in a grotesquely carved figure of a person or animal
- an ornament consisting of a grotesquely carved figure of a person or animal
Word Origin
- gargoyle
- gargoyle: [15] The ancient root *garg-, *gurgoriginated as an imitation of throat sounds. From it were derived such guttural words as Greek gargaraaizein ‘gargle’ (whence Latin gargarizāre ‘gargle’) and Latin gurguliō ‘gullet’ (Latin gurges, source of English gorge and regurgitate, had moved further figuratively to ‘whirlpool’).Among the offspring of gurguliō are Vulgar Latin *gurguliāre, source of English gurgle [16], and Old French gargouille ‘throat’. Roof spouts carved in the shape of grotesque creatures had the term gargouille applied to them from the notion that the rain-water was coming out of their throats – hence English gargoyle. Gargouille also formed the basis of the verb gargouiller ‘gargle, gurgle’, from which English gets gargle [16].=> gargle, gurgle
- gargoyle (n.)
- "grotesque carved waterspout," connected to the gutter of a building to throw down water clear of the wall, common in 13c.-16c. buildings; late 13c., gargoile, also garguile, gargule, etc., "carved mouth of a rain spout, a gargoyle," from Old French gargole, gargoule "throat;" also "carved downspout," in the form of a serpent or some other fanciful shape, also from Medieval Latin gargola, gargulio (see gargle (v.)). "An archaic spelling, retained in books; better gargoil or, in more modern form gargel" [Century Dictionary].
Synonym
Example
- 1. You 're the gargoyle that guards this door .
- 2. Shoots fireballs . You cannot steal life or mana from gargoyle traps .
- 3. His disfigured face was like some avenging nemesis of gargoyle design .
- 4. An evil gargoyle , once thought dead and banished forever , has returned with a vengeance .
- 5. You have to carve your gargoyle to fit into the overall theme and coherent tone of the place .