Main Entry: ¹spill

Pronunciation: \ˈspil\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): spilled \ˈspild, ˈspilt\ also spilt \ˈspilt\; 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 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