Kristeen Smith, age 12, of South River, N.J., for her question:

WHAT IS A GARGOYLE?

A gargoyle is a decorated waterspout that projects from the upper part of some buildings, usually from the roof gutter.

In order to drain water off roofs, ancient Greek architects often placed terra cotta or marble lion heads on the roof cornice. The water emptied out of the lions' mouths.

Gothic architects also used this same idea in their gargoyles which were designed to protect building walls from rainwater that ran down from the roof. Gothic gargoyles are weird stone figures, half human and half animal or half bird.

The word gargoyle comes from the Latin word gurgulio, meaning gullet, which refers to the draining purpose. Some people incorrectly use the word gargoyle to refer to grotesque figures. The correct word for figures of this kind is chimeras.