spill

¹ American  

[spil] / spɪl /

verb (used with object)

spilled, spilt, spilling

1. to cause or allow to run or fall from a container, especially accidentally or wastefully.

   to spill a bag of marbles; to spill milk.

2. to shed (blood), as in killing or wounding.

3. to scatter.

   to spill papers all over everything.

4. Nautical.

   1. to let the wind out of (a sail).

   2. to lose (wind) from a sail.

5. to cause to fall from a horse, vehicle, or the like.

   His horse spilled him.

6. Informal.  to divulge, disclose, or tell.

   Don't spill the secret.

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verb (used without object)

spilled, spilt, spilling

1. (of a liquid, loose particles, etc.) to run or escape from a container, especially by accident or in careless handling.

noun

1. a spilling, as of liquid.

2. a quantity spilled.

3. the mark made by something spilled.

4. a spillway.

5. Also called spill light.  superfluous or useless light rays, as from theatrical or photographic lighting units.

6. Theater.  an area of a stage illuminated by spill light.

7. a throw or fall from a horse, vehicle, or the like.

   She broke her arm in a spill.

idioms

1. spill the beans.  bean.

2. spill one's guts.  gut.

3. spill / toss one's cookies.  cookie.

spill ² American  

[spil] / spɪl /

noun

1. a splinter.

2. a slender piece of wood or of twisted paper, for lighting candles, lamps, etc.

3. a peg made of metal.

4. a small pin for stopping a cask; spile.

5. Mining.  forepole.

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spill ¹ British  

/ spɪl /

verb

1. to fall or cause to fall from or as from a container, esp unintentionally

2. to disgorge (contents, occupants, etc) or (of contents, occupants, etc) to be disgorged

   the car spilt its passengers onto the road

   the crowd spilt out of the theatre

3. to shed (blood)

4. Also: spill the beans.  informal  to disclose something confidential

5. nautical to let (wind) escape from a sail or (of the wind) to escape from a sail

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noun

1. informal  a fall or tumble

2. short for spillway

3. a spilling of liquid, etc, or the amount spilt

4. the declaring of several political jobs vacant when one higher up becomes so

   the Prime Minister's resignation could mean a Cabinet spill

spill ² British  

/ spɪl /

noun

1. a splinter of wood or strip of twisted paper with which pipes, fires, etc, are lit

2. a small peg or rod made of metal

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spill More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing spill

• shed (spill) blood
• take a spill

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Other Word Forms

• nonspillable adjective
• spillable adjective
• spiller noun
• unspilled adjective

Etymology

Origin of spill¹

First recorded before 950; 1920–25 spill ¹ for def. 6; Middle English spillen “to kill, destroy, shed (blood),” Old English spillan “to kill”; cognate with Middle High German, Middle Dutch spillen; akin to spoil

Origin of spill²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English spille, spil(e); of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

"For example, if you spill this chemical on the ground, you won't be able to stay in that area for the next two to three days, even if you wash it off with water."

From BBC

Still, commercial pressures motivate shippers to push boundaries, raising the risk of accidents, oil spills or getting stuck in ice.

From The Wall Street Journal

It has also caught Wall Street’s attention, though the damage doesn’t look to be spilling into other assets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Flores, Sable’s chief executive, wagered that he could patch a leaky pipeline that once caused a disastrous oil spill, ship tens of thousands of barrels of crude to California’s refineries—and earn a windfall.

From The Wall Street Journal

Employees have spilled into a nearby building once home to Credit Suisse.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• discharge
• dribble
• empty
• flow
• overflow
• pour
• run out
• scatter
• spill over
• splash
• spray
• sprinkle
• squirt
• stream