oil spill

American  

noun

1. an accidental release of oil into a body of water, as from a tanker, offshore drilling rig, or underwater pipeline, often presenting a hazard to marine life and the environment.

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Etymology

Origin of oil spill

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The catastrophic 1969 offshore oil spill in Santa Barbara killed thousands of sea birds and marine mammals.

From Los Angeles Times

The so-called Santa Ynez Unit, which includes the pipelines, offshore rigs and a processing plant, was under different ownership at the time of the oil spill.

From Los Angeles Times

An oil spill which has been blamed on a Russian attack in Ukraine has polluted a major river in Moldova, prompting authorities to cut water supplies to the northern city of Balti.

From BBC

An oil company has been forced to pay £6.1m to put right ecological damage caused by an oil spill.

From BBC

The oil spill was detected on Thursday and although the cause is not yet known, the port has told Swedish media it is not linked to the aircraft carrier.

From BBC