The word gargoyle comes from the French gargouille, which means "to gargle." "And that is, of course, what a gargoyle does; it spits water from its throat," Benton said.

The water is usually siphoned away from the parapet through the gargoyle’s mouth, but occasionally the drain is located at the other end of the alimentary canal: The defecating gargoyle at ...

When gargoyles began appearing on churches throughout Europe in the 13th century, they served as decorative water spouts, engineered to preserve stone walls by diverting the flow of rainwater ...

Technically, a gargoyle is a waterspout, though the term is often used interchangeably for such sculptures whether or not they drain water. Bob Owen Tower Life Building, 310 S. St. Mary’s ...

Since Darth Vader’s masked mouth has no spout, he’s technically just a grotesque, not a gargoyle. This particular grotesque has been around almost as long as the character himself.

Students researched the history of gargoyles, ... Students researched the history of gargoyles, architectural elements that also served as rain spouts, draining water away from buildings.

People often assume they're simply decorative but the gargoyles are vital to the structure of Notre Dame, serving as part of the water drainage system. Still in use today, when the drainage system ...

A more diversified collection of gargoyles can be found on the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., including Darth Vader, robots and politicians, a total of 112 gargoyles and grotesques in all.

While Beverly Hills residents weigh in on the just-finished Montage Hotel and remain in limbo about the 9900 Wilshire project, let's look at one of Beverly Hills' lesser known, but equally ...