From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [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},
{waterspout}, {torrent}, {pelter}, {soaker}]
3: a channel through which water is discharged (especially one
used for drainage from the gutters of a roof)
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