noun
gargoyle
GAH-goyl
noun
1
A carved stone figure, often grotesque, that projects from a building and channels rainwater away from the walls.
"Gargoyles peered down from the cathedral roof."
"Each gargoyle on the gutter was carved with a different monstrous face."
How to Use Gargoyle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stone carving, usually of a strange or monstrous creature, that sticks out from a building and drains rainwater.
Word Forms
gargoyles plural
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_____ peered down from the cathedral roof.
Etymology
From Old French gargouille, related to "gargle" — both trace back to words for "throat" or "gullet," describing the water passing through the carved figure's mouth.