Definition of GARGOYLE

gargoyle

Plural: gargoyles

Noun

  • A grotesque carved human or animal figure, often a waterspout.
  • 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
  • A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters.
  • Any decorative carved grotesque figure on a building.
  • A fictional winged monster.
  • An ugly woman.

Examples

  • The word GARGOYLE loomed on the Words With Friends board, both intimidating and scoring high.

Origin / Etymology

From Old French gargouille, from Latin, and native Old English swillan (“to gargle”), from Proto-West Germanic *swilljan, from Proto-Germanic *swiljaną (“to gulp, swallow”), from Proto-Indo-European *swel- (“to drink, gulp, swallow”). Doublet of gargle. The Académie Française suggests the first attestation as gargoule in 1294.

Synonyms

crone, grotesque, hag, hunky punk

Scrabble Score: 13

gargoyle: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
gargoyle: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
gargoyle: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

gargoyle: valid Words With Friends Word