Gargoyle

Gargoyle

a projecting spout, used in Gothic architecture to throw water from the gutter of a building, so as not to drop down the wall. Gargoyles are usually carved into the resemblance of the human figure or of grotesque animals, real or imaginary. They are placed on cornices and on buttresses, and form salient features in many buildings of the early English and decorated styles of the Gothic architecture. (G.F.C.)