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waterspoutmore about waterspout

waterspout


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Waterspout  \Wa"ter*spout`\,  n. 
  A  remarkable  meteorological  phenomenon,  of  the  nature  of  a 
  tornado  or  whirlwind,  usually  observed  over  the  sea,  but 
  sometimes  over  the  land. 
 
  Note:  Tall  columns,  apparently  of  cloud,  and  reaching  from 
  the  sea  to  the  clouds,  are  seen  moving  along  often 
  several  at  once,  sometimes  straight  and  vertical,  at 
  other  times  inclined  and  tortuous,  but  always  in  rapid 
  rotation.  At  their  bases,  the  sea  is  violently  agitated 
  and  heaped  up  with  a  leaping  or  boiling  motion,  water, 
  at  least  in  some  cases,  being  actually  carried  up  in 
  considerable  quantity,  and  scattered  round  from  a  great 
  height,  as  solid  bodies  are  by  tornadoes  on  land.  --Sir 
  J.  Herschel. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  waterspout 
  n  1:  a  tornado  passing  over  water  and  picking  up  a  column  of 
  water  and  mist 
  2:  a  heavy  rain  [syn:  {downpour},  {cloudburst},  {deluge},  {torrent}, 
  {soaker}] 
  3:  a  channel  through  which  water  is  discharged  (especially  one 
  used  for  drainage  from  the  gutters  of  a  roof) 




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