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spill
/spɪl/
to cause liquid to flow out
She spilled the milk on the floor.
She caused the milk to flow out onto the floor.
informal
To cause or allow liquid or another substance to flow over the edge of its container.
He accidentally spilled his coffee during the meeting.
He unintentionally let his coffee flow out onto the table.
The truck tipped over and spilled its cargo of sand.
The truck fell and the sand poured out.
Used as a transitive verb; can also be intransitive when the subject is the liquid itself.
informal
An accidental loss of liquid; the amount that has been spilled.
There was a big spill in the kitchen after the bottle broke.
A large amount of liquid was on the floor after the bottle shattered.
Often followed by the preposition "of" (e.g., "a spill of oil").
Collocations
spill coffeeto accidentally let coffee flow outspill waterto let water escape unintentionallyspill overto flow beyond a boundary, often used figuratively
Related Phrases
Word Origin
Old English *spyllan* meaning ‘to spill, scatter’, related to Old Norse *spilla* ‘to spill’.
Usage Notes
Primarily transitive; when used intransitively, the subject is usually the liquid itself (e.g., "The milk spilled").
English Dictionary