spillwaynoun [ C ]
/ˈspɪl.weɪ//ˈspɪl.weɪ/a passage for extra water from a lake created by a dam (= a wall built across a river to hold back water):
The dam had water pouring over one of its spillways.
The emergency spillway is not properly designed.
More examples
- The owners of the dam did not fix the spillway.
- The dam's main spillway isn't large enough to pass a lot of water in a big storm.
- More water is needed to flush young salmon through dam spillways.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Ditches, dams & tunnels
- cut
- cutting
- dam
- dam sth up
- dike
- ditch
- dyke
- groin
- groyne
- subway
- the Channel Tunnel
- the Chunnel
- trench
- tunnel
- underpass