SPILL (spilt)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: spilt   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spill mean? 

• SPILL (noun)
  The noun SPILL has 4 senses:

1. liquid that is spilled

2. a channel that carries excess water over or around a dam or other obstruction

3. the act of allowing a fluid to escape

4. a sudden drop from an upright position

  Familiarity information: SPILL used as a noun is uncommon.

• SPILL (verb)
  The verb SPILL has 6 senses:

1. cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container

2. flow, run or fall out and become lost

3. cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over

4. pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities

5. reveal information

6. reduce the pressure of wind on (a sail)

  Familiarity information: SPILL used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPILL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Liquid that is spilled

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Context example:

clean up the spills

Hypernyms ("spill" is a kind of...):

liquid (fluid matter having no fixed shape but a fixed volume)

Derivation:

spill (pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities)

spill (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

spill (flow, run or fall out and become lost)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A channel that carries excess water over or around a dam or other obstruction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

spill; spillway; wasteweir

Hypernyms ("spill" is a kind of...):

conduit (a passage (a pipe or tunnel) through which water or electric wires can pass)

Derivation:

spill (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of allowing a fluid to escape

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

release; spill; spillage

Hypernyms ("spill" is a kind of...):

flow; stream (the act of flowing or streaming; continuous progression)

Derivation:

spill (pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities)

spill (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

spill (flow, run or fall out and become lost)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A sudden drop from an upright position

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

fall; spill; tumble

Context example:

he had a nasty spill on the ice

Hypernyms ("spill" is a kind of...):

slip; trip (an accidental misstep threatening (or causing) a fall)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spill"):

pratfall (a fall onto your buttocks)

wipeout (a spill in some sport (as a fall from a bicycle or while skiing or being capsized on a surfboard))

• SPILL (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they spill    ... he / she / it spills   
Past simple: spilled    / spilt   
Past participle: spilled    / spilt   
-ing form: spilling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

slop; spill; splatter

Context example:

splatter water

Hypernyms (to "spill" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Verb group:

disgorge; shed; spill (cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over)

run out; spill (flow, run or fall out and become lost)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

The women spill water into the bowl

Derivation:

spill (the act of allowing a fluid to escape)

spill (a channel that carries excess water over or around a dam or other obstruction)

spill (liquid that is spilled)

spillage (the act of allowing a fluid to escape)

spiller (an attacker who sheds or spills blood)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Flow, run or fall out and become lost

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

run out; spill

Context example:

The wine spilled onto the table

Hypernyms (to "spill" is one way to...):

course; feed; flow; run (move along, of liquids)

Verb group:

slop; spill; splatter (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spill"):

brim over; overflow; overrun; run over; well over (flow or run over (a limit or brim))

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

Water and oil spill into the bowl

Derivation:

spill (the act of allowing a fluid to escape)

spill (liquid that is spilled)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause or allow (a solid substance) to flow or run out or over

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

disgorge; shed; spill

Context example:

spill the beans all over the table

Hypernyms (to "spill" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Verb group:

slop; spill; splatter (cause or allow (a liquid substance) to run or flow from a container)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "spill"):

seed (go to seed; shed seeds)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Pour out in drops or small quantities or as if in drops or small quantities

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

pour forth; shed; spill

Context example:

God shed His grace on Thee

Hypernyms (to "spill" is one way to...):

pour (cause to run)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

spill (the act of allowing a fluid to escape)

spill (liquid that is spilled)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Reveal information

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

spill; talk

Context example:

The former employee spilled all the details

Hypernyms (to "spill" is one way to...):

tell (let something be known)

Verb group:

babble; babble out; blab; blab out; let the cat out of the bag; peach; sing; spill the beans; talk; tattle (divulge confidential information or secrets)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Reduce the pressure of wind on (a sail)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "spill" is one way to...):

bring down; cut; cut back; cut down; reduce; trim; trim back; trim down (cut down on; make a reduction in)

Domain category:

sailing (riding in a sailboat)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

He was soon spilling over with vitality, and each day he saw Ruth, at the moment of meeting, she experienced the old shock of his strength and health.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Oil spills have the potential to affect human health.

(Oil Spills, NIH)

"Will you have a little more water, sir? I spilt half of what was in the glass," I said.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if he did spill a little of anything.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

As he spoke he turned over another portion of the carpet, and there, sure enough, was a great crimson spill upon the square white facing of the old-fashioned floor.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She spilled her food from her spoon, and could place no reliance in her afflicted arm.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

It might also be man-made, like a bioterrorist attack or chemical spill.

(Disaster Preparation and Recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency)

[A] day when money is likely to spill over you like dollars from heaven will be when action Mars and lucky Jupiter conjoin in your income sector on your five-star day, March 20.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

A new study shows that sunlight transforms oil spills on the ocean surface more quickly and significantly than previously thought, limiting the effectiveness of chemical dispersants that break up floating oil.

(Sunlight reduces effectiveness of dispersants used to clean up oil spills, National Science Foundation)

Making a dart at the table, she secured the coffee, which she immediately spilled, thereby making the front of her dress as bad as the back.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)