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

They released 1990’s “Blue Sky Mining” with a concert outside Exxon’s headquarters in New York to protest its handling of an oil spill in Alaska.

From Los Angeles Times

Before that, he was based in the Journal’s Houston bureau, where he reported on the oil-and-gas industry in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and amid the shale-drilling boom.

From The Wall Street Journal

The proposal itself is riddled with red flags, demonstrating that BP has not learned from the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

From Slate

I helped document the lessons of the Deepwater Horizon disaster as the lead investigator for the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill commission.

From Slate

The case would be bigger than the BP oil spill and Vioxx combined.

From Slate