spillway
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of spillway
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To handle the extra volume, engineers send surplus water down 5 Shaft into the deep pool below, much like an overflow spillway helps relieve pressure at a full reservoir.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
The New York Times first wrote about Lake Berryessa’s mesmerizing drain, interviewing Peter Kilkus, who was there hours after the spillway opened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2025
Some of what they remove will be used to fill in the dam’s emergency spillway which is carved into the rock beside the river.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2024
However, opening the spillway also carries pollutants and nutrients into the Mississippi Sound and reduces salinity.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
On this side of the lake there was a concrete wall with a spillway.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.