spill

¹spill

verb \ˈspil\

spilled\ˈspild, ˈspilt\ also spilt\ˈspilt\spill·ing

Definition of SPILL

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 spilled 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 spilling over the dam> b : to cause or allow something to spill

2

: to spread profusely or beyond bounds <crowds spilled into the streets>

3

: to fall from one's place (as on a horse)

— spill·able \ˈspi-lə-bəl\ adjective

— spill·er noun

— spill one's guts

: to divulge especially personal information

— spill the beans

: to divulge secret or hidden information

Examples of SPILL

1. I accidentally spilled coffee all over my new suit.
2. Clean up the flour you spilled on the floor.
3. a puddle of spilled water
4. Water spilled over the dam.
5. She opened the door and light spilled into the room.
6. an interviewer who gets celebrities to spill their secrets
7. Come on, spill it. Who gave you the money?

Origin of SPILL

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SPILL

Synonyms: bare, disclose, discover, divulge, expose, let on (about), reveal, tell, unbosom, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil

Antonyms: cloak, conceal, cover (up), enshroud, hide, mask, shroud, veil

Related Words: confide, share; debunk, show up; unclothe, undrape; advertise, announce, blaze, bring out, broadcast, declare, placard, post, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, sound; betray, blab, give away, leak; inform, squeal, talk; communicate, impart, relate; acknowledge, admit, avow, concede, confess, own; disinter, rake up, smoke out, unearth

Near Antonyms: camouflage, disguise; gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash; becloud, bedim, befog, cloud, darken, eclipse, obscure, overcast, overshadow, shade

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with SPILL

bill, brill, chill, dill, drill, fill, frill, gill, grill, grille, hill, ill, kill, krill, mil, mill, mille, nil, nill, Phil, pill, prill, quill, rill, shill, shrill, sill, skill, squill, still, swill, thill, thrill, til, till, trill, twill, vill, will