Word
pour
US/ˈpɔɹ/
UK/pˈɔː/
Definitions
01to flow from a container
v. to make a liquid flow out of a container and into something else.
v. to cause a liquid or a substance consisting of small particles to flow in a continuous stream from a container.
“He poured some cold water into a glass for his guest.”
“The waiter carefully poured the vintage wine into the decanter, ensuring that no sediment disturbed the clarity of the liquid.”
Usage
Transitive; usually takes a preposition like 'into', 'out of', or 'over'.
Pitfall
She poured the cup with tea.
She poured tea into the cup.
You pour the liquid (the substance), not the container itself.
02to rain heavily
v. to rain very hard for a long time.
v. to rain heavily and continuously; often used in the impersonal 'it' construction.
“We couldn't go for a walk because it started to pour with rain.”
“It has been pouring since dawn, turning the garden paths into small streams and forcing the cancellation of the outdoor festival.”
Usage
Often used as an impersonal verb: 'It is pouring'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to move in a crowd
v. when a large number of people move quickly in one direction.
v. to move or proceed in large numbers or a continuous stream.
“Thousands of fans poured out of the stadium after the game ended.”
“As soon as the doors opened, the crowd poured into the hall, eager to secure the best seats for the keynote speech.”
Usage
Intransitive; often followed by a directional preposition.
Antonyms
04to express feelings
v. to talk a lot about your feelings or secrets to someone.
v. to express one's emotions or thoughts freely and at length, typically in the phrasal verb 'pour out'.
“She poured out her heart to her best friend after the breakup.”
“In his final letter, he poured out his frustrations regarding the project's failure and his lack of support from the board.”
Usage
Commonly used as 'pour out one's heart' or 'pour out one's feelings'.
05an amount poured
n. the act of pouring a drink, or the amount that is poured.
n. the act of pouring a liquid, or a specific serving of a beverage.
“The bartender gave him a very generous pour of whiskey.”
“The sommelier noted that a standard pour for the tasting menu would be exactly three ounces per glass.”
Informal
Etymology
From Middle English pouren (“to pour”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old Northern French purer (“to sift (grain), pour out (water)”), from Latin pūrō (“to purify”), from pūrus (“pure”). Compare Middle Dutch afpuren (“to pour off, drain”). To pour displaced several Middle English verbs: schenchen, schenken (“to pour”), from Old English sċenċan (“to pour out”) and Old Norse skenkja, from Proto-Germanic skankijaną. Compare dialectal English shink, skink. yeten, from Old English ġēotan (“to pour”), from Proto-Germanic geutaną. * birlen (“to pour, serve drink to”), from Old English byrelian (“to pour, serve drink to”). * hellen (“to pour, pour out”), from Old Norse hella (“to pour out, incline”). * temen (“to pour out, empty”), from Old Norse tœma (“to pour out, empty”). Compare archaic English teem.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
pour cold water on — Synonym of throw cold water on (“to belittle or dismiss”).
pour cold water over — Synonym of throw cold water on.
pour down the drain — To waste prior work by subsequent bad decisions.
pour fuel on the fire — Synonym of add fuel to the fire.
pour gasoline on the fire — Synonym of add fuel to the fire.
pour honey in one's ear — To tell one something pleasing or flattering.
pour honey on — To praise or encourage wholeheartedly.
pour oil on troubled waters — To calm, appease or quiet a person or situation.
pour one out — To express respect or tribute for someone or something that is lost or gone.
pour one's heart out — To express one's innermost thoughts or feelings effusively.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/pour