Basic+ Word of the Day: pour

pour (verb) past tense: poured

Pour means ‘to cause to flow from one container to another or over, into or on something.’

• Jake poured milk into his cereal bowl.
• Julia poured the sauce over the spaghetti.
• The winning team poured champagne on their coach's head.

Pour also means ‘to rain heavily.’

• Take your umbrella; it's pouring.

Pour can also mean ‘to proceed in great numbers.’

• On the first day of the sale, the crowds poured into the store.
• After the concert, the fans poured out of the arena.

Don't confuse it with

pore: to study with focused attention. Example: “Eloise pored over her essay, looking for grammatical errors.”

Common uses

pour out: to speak a lot. Example: “Keith poured out his troubles to his best friend.”

Did you know?

Have you been pouring your Guinness wrong? Watch this video in which a math professor explains the most efficient way to pour your beer.

In pop culture

Here is Rihanna singing “Pour It Up.”

There are other meanings of pour.