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   Spill

   /spil/

   

   verb

   • 1. cause or allow (liquid) to flow over the edge of its container, especially unintentionally: "you'll spill that tea if you're not careful" Similar knock overtip overupsetoverturncowp
   • ▪ (of liquid) flow over the edge of its container: "some of the wine spilled on to the floor" Similar overflowflowpourrunslopsloshsplashsplatterbrimwellleakescapeinformal:sploshrare:overbrim
   • ▪ (with reference to the contents of something) empty out or be emptied out on to a surface: "my backpack split, spilling my clothes and books onto the floor"
   • ▪ (of a number of people) move out of somewhere quickly: "diners can spill out into the courtyard" Similar streampoursurgeswarmfloodthrongcrowdmill
   • 2. reveal (confidential information) to someone: informal "there's nothing worse than friends who spill secrets" Similar revealdisclosedivulgelet outleakblurt outbabblebetraymake knowntellinformal:let onblab
   • 3. cause to fall off a horse or bicycle: "the horse was wrenched off course, spilling his rider" Similar unseatthrowdislodgeunhorse
   • 4. (in the context of ball games) drop (the ball). British
   • 5. let (wind) out of a sail, typically by slackening the sheets.

   noun

   • 1. a quantity of liquid that has spilled or been spilled: "wipe up spills immediately"
   • ▪ an instance of a liquid spilling or being spilled: "he was absolved from any blame for the oil spill" Similar spillageleakleakageoverspilloverflowfloodarchaic:spilth
   • 2. a fall from a horse or bicycle: "Granddad took a spill while riding the bay mare" Similar falltumbleaccidentinformal:headercroppernosedive

   Word Origin Old Englishspillan ‘kill, destroy, waste, shed (blood’); of unknown origin.

   Derivatives

   • 1. spiller noun

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • S

     1

   • P

     3

   • I

     1

   • L

     1

   • L

     1

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