gutter

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɡʌtər/
• American: GUH-ter

Origin

Middle English, from Anglo-Norman gutiere, from Latin gutta meaning "drop"

Meanings

1. (noun) A shallow trough or channel along the edge of a street or road to carry off surface water to a drain.
2. (noun) A channel at the edge of a roof for carrying off rainwater.
3. (noun) A low or degraded state of moral, social, or economic condition.
4. (verb) To form gutters or channels in.

Example Sentences

1. The heavy rain caused water to overflow from the gutter onto the sidewalk.
2. He cleaned the leaves out of the gutter to prevent water damage to the roof.
3. After losing his job, he fell into the gutter of depression and alcoholism.
4. Years of neglect had guttered the old building's facade.

Related Words

• Forms: gutters (plural), guttered (past tense), guttering (present participle)
• Synonyms:
  • (noun) channel, trough, drain, watercourse
  • (verb) channel, groove, furrow

Memorization Trick

Think of "GUTTER" as "GO UTTER": water GO(es) down the UTTER(most) part of the roof or street. This helps remember its function as a water channel.