Definition
A short tube or nozzle, typically inside an engine or fluid system, that directs a stream of liquid -- usually oil -- onto a specific component such as a gear, bearing, or cam lobe for lubrication or cooling.
Plain English
A small tube that aims a jet of oil at a part that needs lubricating, so the oil lands exactly where it's needed instead of just splashing around.
Context Anchor
Seen in weather descriptions, pilot reports, or visually during flight near coastal areas, lakes, or stormy weather.
Derivation
From Middle English 'spouten,' meaning to gush or pour out. The aviation use keeps the everyday sense -- a small opening that directs a stream of liquid -- but applies it to oil inside an engine rather than water from a kettle.
Why Pilots Care
Spouts indicate strong localized winds and turbulence that can damage an aircraft or cause loss of control if encountered.
Grounding Statement
If you see a narrow spinning funnel reaching down from a cloud, treat it as dangerous weather and give it plenty of room.
Intuition Check
Spout does not mean a pipe or something pouring liquid here. In aviation weather, it means a rotating funnel of air connected with a cloud, usually seen over water as a waterspout.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic cleaned each oil spout during the engine overhaul to make sure every bearing would receive its proper flow.
Example Sentence 2
Controllers reported a spout moving across the approach path, requiring a go-around.