waterspout

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UK/ˈwɔːtə spaʊt/British, Southern, Standard/ˈwoːtə spawt/US/ˈwɔtɚ spaʊt/US[ˈwɔɾɚ spaʊt]

noun

A whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).

RareScrabble 15

Meanings

nounwaterspout (plural waterspouts)

plural waterspouts

  1. A whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).

    Synonyms: cataract

  2. A true tornado that passes over a body of water.
  3. A plume of water rising from the surface of a body of water as the result of an explosion or impact.
    1 more example

    Basically, the problem was actually the British had too many ships! The Grand Fleet wasn't half bad with its gunnery, but there was so many battleships throwing fire at the battlecruisers and battleships of the High Seas Fleet that it was actually very difficult to tell "Is that splash from us? Is that splash from that ship? Is that splash from a ship in another division? We don't know!", so a lot of incorrect estimates and measures were taken, which lead to an awful lot of waterspouts going up, but not anywhere near the number of hits that you would otherwise expect[…]

    2021 May 2, Drachinifel, 3:59:19 from the start, in The Drydock - Episode 144, archived from the original on 26 Sep 2022
  4. A channel through which water is discharged, especially from the gutters of a roof; downspout; drainpipe.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).

Similar
Broader

More synonyms by meaning

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Ancient Greek πρηστήρ
  • πρηστήρ (prēstḗr)tornado that occurs over a body of water
Arabic تِنِّين
  • تِنِّين (tinnīn)tornado that occurs over a body of water
Bulgarian воден смерч, водосток
  • воден смерч (voden smerč)tornado that occurs over a body of water
  • водосток (vodostok)channel through which water is discharged
Catalan mànega
  • mànegatornado that occurs over a body of water
Chinese Mandarin 水龍捲 /水龙卷, 海龍捲風 /海龙卷风
  • 水龍捲 /水龙卷 (shuǐlóngjuǎn)tornado that occurs over a body of water
  • 海龍捲風 /海龙卷风tornado that occurs over a body of water
Dutch waterhoos, waterspuwer
  • waterhoostornado that occurs over a body of water
  • waterspuwerchannel through which water is discharged
Esperanto trombo
  • trombotornado that occurs over a body of water
Estonian vesipüks, pilvesammas
  • vesipükstornado that occurs over a body of water
  • pilvesammastornado that occurs over a body of water
Finnish vesipatsas, syöksyputki
  • vesipatsastornado that occurs over a body of water
  • syöksyputkichannel through which water is discharged
French trombe
  • trombetornado that occurs over a body of water
German Wasserhose, Wasserspeier
  • Wasserhosetornado that occurs over a body of water
  • Wasserspeierchannel through which water is discharged
Greek υδροστρόβιλος
  • υδροστρόβιλος (ydrostróvilos)tornado that occurs over a body of water
Hindi जलस्तंभ
  • जलस्तंभ (jalastambh)tornado that occurs over a body of water
Irish cuaifeach uisce
  • cuaifeach uiscetornado that occurs over a body of water
Japanese 雨樋
  • 雨樋 (amadoi)channel through which water is discharged
Latin columna
  • columnachannel through which water is discharged
Norwegian Bokmål skypumpe
  • skypumpetornado that occurs over a body of water
Polish trąba wodna, wodotrysk
  • trąba wodnatornado that occurs over a body of water
  • wodotryskchannel through which water is discharged
Portuguese tromba-d'água, calha
  • tromba-d'águatornado that occurs over a body of water
  • calhachannel through which water is discharged
Romanian trombă
  • trombătornado that occurs over a body of water
Spanish tifón, tromba
  • tifóntornado that occurs over a body of water
  • trombatornado that occurs over a body of water
Thai นาคเล่นน้ำ
  • นาคเล่นน้ำ (nâak-lên-náam)tornado that occurs over a body of water
Cite this entry
APA

waterspout. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waterspout

MLA

“waterspout.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waterspout. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “waterspout,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/waterspout.

Source: waterspout on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.