The word 'gargoyle' is derived from the French 'gargouille', whose Latin root, 'gargula', means gullet or throat. Gargouille is also connected to the French verb 'gargariser', "to gargle", which offers a more colorful description fo the gargoyle's real mission. Simply put, a gargoyle is a decorated downspout that directs water away from its building through a drainpipe in its mouth or other orifice. Grotesques lack the internal pipe of gargoyles, but in some instances do serve a water-carrying function by directing water over their heads.. The key difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque is that a grotesque's primary function is decorative; thus, they are found in a greater variety of locations than are gargoyles.

-Darlene Trew Crist American Gargoyles: Spirits in Stone

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