Pour means to make a liquid flow steadily from one container into another or onto a surface. When you pour milk into your cereal bowl or pour juice into a glass, you're tilting the container and letting gravity do the work. The key is control: pouring is smooth and deliberate, while spilling happens by accident.

You can pour all sorts of liquids: water, soup, pancake batter, or melted chocolate. The word works for other flowing materials too. A construction worker might pour concrete to make a sidewalk, letting the thick mixture flow into wooden forms where it will harden. After a big win, athletes sometimes pour a cooler of sports drink over their coach's head in celebration.

The word also describes heavy rain. When meteorologists say it's pouring, they mean rain is falling hard and fast, coming down in sheets rather than a light drizzle. People might say it's pouring cats and dogs to emphasize how intense the downpour is.

You'll also hear pour used figuratively. If complaints come pouring in to a company, they're arriving in large numbers, like liquid flowing without stopping. When someone pours their heart out, they're sharing their deepest feelings openly and completely.