Gutter Comes From the Latin for a Drop of Water
A gutter carries away rainwater. The word comes from *gutta*, a drop, which also gives us the medical term for gout.
A gutter is a channel carrying rainwater from a roof or roadside. The root is a single drop: Latin *gutta*, which also gave *gout* — medieval doctors believed the disease was caused by a drop of humour falling into a joint. The theory was wrong, the name survived, and both words trace to falling water.
- A rainwater channel. *Clean the gutters.*
- The lowest condition. *Out of the gutter.*
- To burn unsteadily. *The candle guttered.*
- Gutter press — sensational journalism. *The gutter press.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | gutter | A blocked gutter. |
| Plural | gutters | Roof gutters. |
| Verb | gutter | The flame guttered. |
| Compound | guttering | New guttering. |
| Related | gout | An attack of gout. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The candle guttered and went out.Burned unsteadily.
- Get your mind out of the gutter.Away from coarse thoughts.
- Gout means a drop.From a mistaken medieval theory.
Words from *gutta*, a drop
- Gutter — a channel for dropping water
- Gout — from the theory of a falling humour
- Gutta-percha — a latex, named from a Malay word reshaped to fit
- Guttate — spotted, as though with drops
- Gutta — an architectural ornament resembling droplets
From Old French *gotiere*, from Latin *gutta*, a drop. The verb sense of a flame flickering comes from wax running down in drops.
Why does a candle *gutter*?
Because melted wax runs down in drops, disturbing the flame. The verb comes straight from the word for a drop.
Is gout related?
Yes. Medieval medicine held that gout was caused by a drop of diseased humour falling into a joint, so the disease took the name.