Definition of "waterspout"

waterspout

noun
plural waterspouts
1. A whirlwind that forms over water, not associated with a mesocyclone of a thunderstorm (contrary to a true tornado).
2. A true tornado that passes over a body of water.
3. A plume of water rising from the surface of a body of water as the result of an impact or explosion.
  Quotations
  Basically, the problem was actually the British had too many ships! The Grand Fleet wasn't half bad with its gunnery, but there was so many battleships throwing fire at the battlecruisers and battleships of the High Seas Fleet that it was actually very difficult to tell "Is that splash from us? Is that splash from that ship? Is that splash from a ship in another division? We don't know!", so a lot of incorrect estimates and measures were taken, which lead to an awful lot of waterspouts going up, but not anywhere near the number of hits that you would otherwise expect […]
  2021 May 2, Drachinifel, 3:59:19 from the start, in The Drydock - Episode 144‎, archived from the original on 26 September 2022
4. A channel through which water is discharged, especially from the gutters of a roof.