Do You Pour Over Or Pore Over?

Do you know when to use pour and pore? They are often confused. Pore is more widely used to describe those crevices in our faces that get all clogged and gross. However, that is not its only proper usage.

If you want to write about a police officer who is studying a crime scene intently, does he pore or pour over it?

Let’s go to the trusty Merriam-Webster to see what it says.

Pour is defined as

1 : to cause (something) to flow in a steady stream from or into a container or place

2: to fill a cup or glass with a drink for someone

3 : to flow or move continuously in a steady stream

However, pore is defined as

1 :  to gaze intently

2 :  to read or study attentively —usually used with over

3 :  to reflect or meditate steadily

That makes it pretty clear! One would pour milk over cereal and then pore over a textbook.

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