What does gargoyle mean?
Word: Gargoyle
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Gargoyle means a carved stone figure of a strange creature on the roof of an old building, with rainwater running out through its mouth.
How do you spell gargoyle?
Syllables: gar - goyle
Tricky part: The middle is spelt oy, not oi, though both make the same sound. Gargoil is the slip most pupils write.
Watch out for: gargoil, gargoile
Memory tip: Every boy looks up at a stone creature on a roof, and the word boy hands it the oy it needs.
Gargoyle in a sentence
Example 1: Rain poured from the mouth of a gargoyle high on the old stone tower.
Example 2: The guide told us that each gargoyle on the building had its own funny face.
Example 3: I sketched a gargoyle with bat ears in my art book.
Fun Fact
The word is linked to an Old French word for throat, a good fit, since rainwater passes through the figure's open mouth.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
gargoy__
a) le
b) al
c) ol
d) el
Show answer
a) le. The word finishes the way table and candle do.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
rgaoeylg
a) a deep ditch of water around a castle
b) a heavy gate that slides down to shut a doorway
c) a narrow tower on the wall of a castle
d) a stone beast that drains a roof in wet weather
Show answer
d) a stone beast that drains a roof in wet weather. Put in order, these letters name the odd carved creature up on the roof.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each correctly spelt word in the list. How many marks do you get?
gargoyle, turret, drawbrige, courtyard, balcony
a) 8
b) 6
c) 2
d) 4
Show answer
a) 8. Four words are right and only drawbridge is misspelt, so 4 x 2 = 8.
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
The gargoyle on the old tower glared down at the turists and the pidgeons in the square below.
a) turists and pidgeons
b) only pidgeons
c) gargoyle and tower
d) only turists
Show answer
a) turists and pidgeons. Tourists and pigeons are the two slips; the stone creature is spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why do gargoyles stick out so far from the roof?
a) to give birds a dry nest
b) to throw water clear of the walls
c) to light up the street below
d) to hold up the roof timbers
Show answer
b) to throw water clear of the walls
2. A gargoyle would look most at home on which of these?
a) a new glass office block
b) an old stone college in Oxford
c) a wooden beach hut
d) a bamboo bus shelter
Show answer
b) an old stone college in Oxford
