spill

[ spil ]

/ spɪl /

verb (used with object), spilled or spilt, spill·ing.

to cause or allow to run or fall from a container, especially accidentally or wastefully: to spill a bag of marbles; to spill milk.

to shed (blood), as in killing or wounding.

to scatter: to spill papers all over everything.

Nautical.

to let the wind out of (a sail).
to lose (wind) from a sail.

to cause to fall from a horse, vehicle, or the like: His horse spilled him.

Informal. to divulge, disclose, or tell: Don't spill the secret.

verb (used without object), spilled or spilt, spill·ing.

(of a liquid, loose particles, etc.) to run or escape from a container, especially by accident or in careless handling.

noun

a spilling, as of liquid.

a quantity spilled.

the mark made by something spilled.

a spillway.

Also called spill light. superfluous or useless light rays, as from theatrical or photographic lighting units.

Theater. an area of a stage illuminated by spill light.

a throw or fall from a horse, vehicle, or the like: She broke her arm in a spill.

Idioms for spill

spill the beans. bean(def 11).

spill/toss one's cookies. cookie(def 7).

Origin of spill

before 950; 1920–25 for def 6; Middle English spillen to kill, destroy, shed (blood), Old English spillan to kill; cognate with Middle High German, Middle Dutch spillen; akin to spoil

OTHER WORDS FROM spill

spill·a·ble, adjective, noun non·spill·a·ble, adjective un·spilled, adjective

Words nearby spill

spikenard, spiker, spiky, spile, spiling, spill, spill over, spill the beans, spillage, spillane, spillikin

British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (1 of 2)

spill ¹

/ (spɪl) /

verb spills, spilling, spilt or spilled (mainly tr)

(when intr, usually foll by from, out of, etc) to fall or cause to fall from or as from a container, esp unintentionally

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

to shed (blood)

Also: spill the beans informal to disclose something confidential

nautical to let (wind) escape from a sail or (of the wind) to escape from a sail

noun

informal a fall or tumble

short for spillway

a spilling of liquid, etc, or the amount spilt

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 of spill

spiller, noun

Word Origin for spill

Old English spillan to destroy; related to spildan, Old High German spaltan to split; see spoil

British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (2 of 2)

spill ²

/ (spɪl) /

noun

a splinter of wood or strip of twisted paper with which pipes, fires, etc, are lit

a small peg or rod made of metal

Word Origin for spill

C13: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German spilla, Middle Dutch spile stake

Idioms and Phrases with non-spillable

spill

In addition to the idiom beginning with spill

spill the beans

also see:

shed (spill) blood
take a spill

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

spill

verb (used with object), spilled or spilt, spill·ing.

verb (used without object), spilled or spilt, spill·ing.

noun

Idioms for spill

Origin of spill

OTHER WORDS FROM spill

Words nearby spill

British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (1 of 2)

verb spills, spilling, spilt or spilled (mainly tr)

noun

Derived forms of spill

Word Origin for spill

British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for spill

Idioms and Phrases with non-spillable

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

spill

verb (used with object), spilled or spilt, spill·ing.

verb (used without object), spilled or spilt, spill·ing.

noun

Idioms for spill

Origin of spill

OTHER WORDS FROM spill

Words nearby spill

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (1 of 2)

verb spills, spilling, spilt or spilled (mainly tr)

noun

Derived forms of spill

Word Origin for spill

British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for spill

Idioms and Phrases with non-spillable

British Dictionary definitions for non-spillable (1 of 2)