gargoyle.

1. A projecting grotesque human or animal carving that drains rainwater away from a building.

2. A carved grotesque figure, whether or not it functions as a waterspout.

3. A person described insultingly as having a grotesquely unattractive face.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• stone gargoyle
• water pours from a gargoyle
• a roofline of gargoyles

On the page

Rain streamed from the gargoyle's open mouth into the courtyard.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror / gothic literary. Lexical Type: Word. Forms: Singular gargoyle; plural gargoyles. Commonness: moderately common (editorial estimate; not a corpus frequency statistic). Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1; numbered fields keep each relevant meaning separate. Research distinction: Direct entry read: grotesque roof-drain carving; more generally grotesquely carved figure; derogatory unattractive-faced person. Three scopes distinguish strict drainage function from broader common usage and human insult. Animated franchise creatures in auto examples do not create an extra definition. Individually reviewed for a precise writer function, not selected merely for rarity. Original definitions/examples; commonness editorial, not a corpus statistic. Genre suitability does not establish inherent fear or emotional intensity. Writing functions: functional carved drainage, grotesque architectural ornament.