spill Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun liquid that is spilled
    • clean up the spills
  2. noun a channel that carries excess water over or around a dam or other obstruction
    wasteweir; spillway.
  3. noun the act of allowing a fluid to escape
    release; spillage.
  4. noun a sudden drop from an upright position
    fall; tumble.
    • he had a nasty spill on the ice
  5. verb cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container
    splatter; slop.
    • spill the milk
    • splatter water
  6. verb flow, run or fall out and become lost
    run out.
    • The milk spilled across the floor
    • The wine spilled onto the table
  7. verb cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over
    disgorge; shed.
    • spill the beans all over the table
  8. verb pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities
    shed; pour forth.
    • shed tears
    • spill blood
    • God shed His grace on Thee
  9. verb reveal information
    talk.
    • If you don't oblige me, I'll talk!
    • The former employee spilled all the details
  10. verb reduce the pressure of wind on (a sail)

WordNet

Spill noun
Etymology
Cf. Spell a splinter.
Definitions
  1. A bit of wood split off; a splinter. Obs. or Prov. Eng.
  2. A slender piece of anything. Specifically: -- (a) A peg or pin for plugging a hole, as in a cask; a spile. (b) A metallic rod or pin. (c) A small roll of paper, or slip of wood, used as a lamplighter, etc. (d) (Mining) One of the thick laths or poles driven horizontally ahead of the main timbering in advancing a level in loose ground.
  3. A little sum of money. Obs. Ayliffe.
Spill transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Spilt ; present participle & verbal noun Spilling
Definitions
  1. To cover or decorate with slender pieces of wood, metal, ivory, etc.; to inlay. Obs. Spenser.
Spill transitive verb
Etymology
OE. spillen,sually, to destroy, AS. spillan, spildan, to destroy; akin to Icel. spilla to destroy, Sw. spilla to spill, Dan. spilde,G. & D. spillen to squander, OHG. spildan.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Spilled or Spilt ; present participle & verbal noun Spilling
Definitions
  1. To destroy; to kill; to put an end to. Obs.
    And gave him to the queen, all at her will To choose whether she would him save or spill. Chaucer.
    Greater glory think [it] to save than spill. Spenser.
  2. To mar; to injure; to deface; hence, to destroy by misuse; to waste. Obs.
    They [the colors] disfigure the stuff and spill the whole workmanship. Puttenham.
    Spill not the morning, the quintessence of day, in recreations. Fuller.
  3. To suffer to fall or run out of a vessel; to lose, or suffer to be scattered; -- applied to fluids and to substances whose particles are small and loose; as, to spill water from a pail; to spill quicksilver from a vessel; to spill powder from a paper; to spill sand or flour. ✍ Spill differs from pour in expressing accidental loss, -- a loss or waste contrary to purpose.
  4. To cause to flow out and be lost or wasted; to shed, or suffer to be shed, as in battle or in manslaughter; as, a man spills another's blood, or his own blood.
    And to revenge his blood so justly spilt. Dryden.
  5. (Naut.) To relieve a sail from the pressure of the wind, so that it can be more easily reefed or furled, or to lessen the strain. Totten.
Spill noun
Definitions
  1. An instance of spilling.
Spill intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To be destroyed, ruined, or wasted; to come to ruin; to perish; to waste. Obs.
    That thou wilt suffer innocents to spill. Chaucer.
  2. To be shed; to run over; to fall out, and be lost or wasted. "He was so topful of himself, that he let it spill on all the company." I. Watts.

Webster 1913