top kill

noun

1. a technique in which a heavy fluid, usually drilling mud, is pumped into a leaking oil well to stop the flow of oil.

   The top kill is underway, but success remains uncertain as engineers desperately pump mud into the damaged blowout preventer.

top kill

noun

1. a procedure used by oil companies to attempt to plug a leaking well, by pumping heavy drilling fluids into the well before sealing it with concrete

Word History and Origins

Origin of top kill¹

First recorded in 1930–35