n.
Pronunciation: ' spil
Function: verb
Inflected Form: spilled \ ' spild, ' spilt \ also spilt \ ' spilt \ ; spill · ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English spillan; 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 a archaic : KILL , DESTROY b : to cause (blood) to be lost by wounding
2 : to cause or allow especially accidentally or unintentionally to fall, flow, or run out so as to be lost or wasted
3 a : to relieve (a sail) from the pressure of the wind so as to reef or furl it b : to relieve the pressure of (wind) on a sail by coming about or by adjusting the sail with lines
4 : to throw off or out <a horse spill ed him>
5 : to let out : DIVULGE < spill a secret>
intransitive verb
1 a : to flow, run, or fall out, over, or off and become wasted, scattered, or lost <water spill ing over the dam> b : to cause or allow something to spill
2 : to spread profusely or beyond bounds <crowds spill ed into the streets>
3 : to fall from one's place (as on a horse)
– spill · able \ ' spi-l ə -b ə l \ adjective
– spill · er noun
– spill one's guts : to divulge especially personal information
– spill the beans : to divulge secret or hidden information