Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense spills, present participle spilling, past tense, past participle spilled, past tense, past participle spiltlanguage note: American English uses the form spilled as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either spilled or spilt.
1. verb
If a liquid spills or if you spill it, it accidentally flows over the edge of a container.
70,000 tonnes of oil spilled from the tanker. [VERB adverb/preposition]
...water behind a dam, getting ready to spill over. [VERB adverb/preposition]
He always spilled the drinks. [VERB noun]
Don't spill water on your suit. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: tip over, upset, overturn, capsize More Synonyms of spill
2. countable noun
A spill is an amount of liquid that has spilled from a container.
She wiped a spill of milkshake off the counter.
An oil spill could be devastating for wildlife.
Synonyms: spillage, flood, leak, leakage More Synonyms of spill
3. verb
If the contents of a bag, box, or other container spill or are spilled, they come out of the container onto a surface.
A number of bags had split and were spilling their contents. [VERB noun]
He carefully balanced the satchel so that its contents would not spill out onto thefloor. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: shed, scatter, discharge, throw off More Synonyms of spill
4. verb
If people or things spill out of a place, they come out of it in large numbers.
Tears began to spill out of the boy's eyes. [VERB adverb/preposition]
When the bell rings, more than 1,000 children spill from classrooms. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: emerge, flood, pour, mill More Synonyms of spill
5. ergative verb
If light spills or is spilled into a place, it shines brightly into it, usually through a gap.
She noticed the light spilling under Brian's door. [VERB adverb/preposition]
The door swung open again, spilling light into the cell. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
6.
See spill blood/spill sb's blood
7. to spill the beans
8. thrills and spills
Phrasal verbs:
See spill out
More Synonyms of spill
spill in British English1
(spɪl)
verbWord forms: spills, spilling, spilt or spilled(mainly tr)
1. (whenintr, usually foll by from, out of, etc)
to fall or cause to fall from or as from a container, esp unintentionally
2.
to disgorge (contents, occupants, etc) or (of contents, occupants, etc) to be disgorged
the car spilt its passengers onto the road
the crowd spilt out of the theatre
3.
to shed (blood)
4. Also: spill the beans informal
to disclose something confidential
5. nautical
to let (wind) escape from a sail or (of the wind) to escape from a sail
noun
6. informal
a fall or tumble
7. short for spillway
8.
a spilling of liquid, etc, or the amount spilt
9. Australian
the declaring of several political jobs vacant when one higher up becomes so
the Prime Minister's resignation could mean a Cabinet spill
Derived forms
spiller (ˈspiller)
noun
Word origin
Old English spillan to destroy; related to spildan, Old High German spaltan to split; see spoil
spill in British English2
(spɪl)
noun
1.
a splinter of wood or strip of twisted paper with which pipes, fires, etc, are lit
2.
a small peg or rod made of metal
Word origin
C13: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German spilla, Middle Dutch spile stake
spill in American English1
(spɪl)
verb transitiveWord forms: spilled or spilt, ˈspilling
1.
to allow or cause, esp. unintentionally or accidentally, to run, fall, or flow over from a container, usually so as to result in loss or waste
who spilled the milk?
2.
to shed (blood)
3.
a.
to empty the wind from (a sail)
b.
to lessen the pressure of (wind) on a sail
4.
to scatter at random from a receptacle or container
5.
to cause or allow (a rider, load, etc.) to fall off; throw off
6. Informal
to let (something secret) become known; divulge
7. Obsolete
a.
to kill
b.
to destroy or ruin
c.
to squander; waste
verb intransitive
8.
to be spilled from a container; overflow; run out
noun
9.
the act of spilling
10.
the amount spilled
11.
spillway
12.
a fall or tumble, as from a horse or from a vertical position
Idioms:
spill one's guts
spill over
Word origin
ME spillen < OE spillan, to destroy, squander, akin to MHG spillen, to split < IE base *(s)p(h)el-, to split, split off > spall, L spolium
spill in American English2
(spɪl)
noun
1.
a splinter
2.
a splinter, thin roll of paper, etc., set on fire and used to light a pipe, candle, etc.
3.
a paper cone or roll used as a container
4.
a small plug for stopping up a hole; spile
5.
a small metal peg, pin, or rod
Word origin
ME spille, prob. via dial. spil < ON spila, a splinter, akin to spile
More idioms containing
spill
spill your guts
spill the beans
Examples of 'spill' in a sentence
spill
The record companies are once again crying over spilt milk.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The thrills and spills are almost as important as the end result.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Why do people spill their life stories over the internet?
The Sun (2010)
He might stall his car at the lights or spill pasta sauce on his shirt.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She had recently taken a bad spill on the terrace.
Eddison, Sydney A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden (1990)
Or accidentally spilt red wine on your brand new cream carpet?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The good news is that the pupils will probably spill the beans.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But we must not let the disappointment spill into next season.
The Sun (2006)
Too much bad blood has been spilled.
The Sun (2008)
There is no official record of how many spills are caused each year by bad weather.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And the bad feeling between them spilled over again the next day.
The Sun (2010)
People have spilt an enormous quantity of ink trying to identify this figure.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
At her beckon he left them and joined her outside in the flickering spill of candle light.
Kerr, Katharine A Time of War (1993)
The pub also has a cricket team who play down the road and spill out on to the green afterwards.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Many are low, creeping and useful for softening path edges or spilling over raised planting areas.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Draws burst open, their contents spilling onto the floor.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There were twists and turns, thrills and spills.
The Sun (2011)
MORE than 60 gallons of radioactive liquid has spilled from a nuclear submarine into a river.
The Sun (2008)
Unlike other high-profile cases, the oil spill litigation is not being tried before a jury.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
As the crowd spill into the street, there isn't a smile to be seen.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Shock, horror, man spills liquid!
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But it will cause embarrassment for the company as it tries to restore its reputation following the recent US oil spill.
The Sun (2010)
In other languages
spill
British English: spill /spɪl/ VERB
If a liquid spills or if you spill it, it accidentally flows over the edge of a container.
70,000 tonnes of oil spilled from the tanker.
American English: spill
Arabic: يُهْرِقُ
Brazilian Portuguese: derramar
Chinese: 溢出
Croatian: proliti
Czech: rozlít (se)
Danish: spilde
Dutch: morsen
European Spanish: derramar
Finnish: läikyttää
French: renverser
German: verschütten
Greek: χύνω
Italian: versare
Japanese: こぼす 漏らす
Korean: ...을 엎지르다
Norwegian: søle
Polish: rozlać
European Portuguese: derramar
Romanian: a vărsa
Russian: проливать
Latin American Spanish: derramar
Swedish: spilla
Thai: ทำหก
Turkish: dökmek
Ukrainian: розливати
Vietnamese: làm đổ
British English: spill NOUN
A spill is an amount of liquid that has spilled from a container.
She wiped a spill of milkshake off the counter.
American English: spill
Brazilian Portuguese: derramamento
Chinese: 洒落的液体
European Spanish: derrame
French: tache
German: verschüttete Menge
Italian: liquido versato
Japanese: 流出物
Korean: 쏟은 액체
European Portuguese: quantidade de líquido derramada
Latin American Spanish: derrame
All related terms of 'spill'
oil spill
a release of oil into the environment , either leaked or discharged from a ship, lorry , truck etc
spill out
If you spill out information or if it spills out , you tell someone about it in a hurried way, because you cannot or do not want to keep it secret .
spill over
to overflow or be forced out of an area, container , etc
spill one's guts
to divulge everything one knows or reveal all one's personal problems
spill the beans
to reveal the truth about something secret or private
spill your guts
If someone spills their guts , they tell you everything about something secret or private .
to spill the beans
If you spill the beans , you tell someone something that people have been trying to keep secret .
to spill your guts
if someone spills their guts , they tell you everything about something secret or private
spill blood/spill sb's blood
If you spill someone's blood , you kill them or wound them.