SPILL

I. verb (~ed; also spilt; ~ing) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ~an; akin to Old English spildan to destroy and perhaps to Latin spolium animal skin, Greek sphallein to cause to fall Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. kill , destroy , to cause (blood) to be lost by wounding, to cause or allow especially accidentally or unintentionally to fall, flow, or run out so as to be lost or wasted, 3. to relieve (a sail) from the pressure of the wind so as to reef or furl it, to relieve the pressure of (wind) on a sail by coming about or by adjusting the sail with lines, to throw off or out , to let out ; divulge , intransitive verb 1. to flow, run, or fall out, over, or off and become wasted, scattered, or lost , to cause or allow something to ~, to spread profusely or beyond bounds , to fall from one's place (as on a horse), ~able adjective ~er noun II. noun Date: circa 1845 the act or an instance of ~ing, something ~ed, III. noun Etymology: Middle English ~e; akin to Middle Low German spīle thin stick, peg Date: 14th century a wooden splinter, a small roll or twist of paper or slip of wood for lighting a fire