gutter

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] a long curved channel made of metal or plastic that is fixed under the edge of a roof to carry away the water when it rains: a blocked / leaking gutter 2 [C] a channel at the edge of a road where water collects and is carried away to DRAINS 3 (the gutter) [sing.] the bad social conditions or lack of morals sometimes connected with the lowest level of society: She rose from the gutter to become a great star. * the language of the gutter (= used when swearing) verb [V] (literary) (of a flame or candle) to burn in an unsteady way: The candle guttered in the wind.