gout
UK[ɡaʊt]US[ɡaʊt]
n
A medical condition that causes painful swelling in the joints, especially the feet and hands, due to the accumulation of uric acid crystals.
n
A drop or spot, especially of something undesirable.
Etymology
The word 'gout' entered English in the 13th century from the Old French 'goute', meaning 'a drop' or specifically 'a drop of morbid matter'. This, in turn, derived from the Latin 'gutta', literally meaning 'a drop'. The medical condition was historically explained by the humoral theory, which posited that the disease was caused by a 'drop' of noxious humor seeping from the blood into a joint. Over centuries, the term's primary meaning narrowed from the general concept of a 'drop' to refer almost exclusively to the specific arthritic disease, while the original 'drop' sense became archaic and rare.
Analysis
The word 'gout' is a simplex loanword from Old French. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into productive morphemes in modern English based on its current spelling.
Examples
He suffered from severe gout in his big toe, which made walking difficult.
The rich diet of the nobility was often blamed for their frequent bouts of gout.
A gout of oil spurted from the cracked engine.