spillway

noun

spill·​way ˈspil-ˌwā 

: a passage for surplus water to run over or around an obstruction (such as a dam)

Examples of spillway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thirty homes below the Anchor Lake dam in southern Mississippi were being evacuated as a precaution due to concerns that rising waters could overwhelm the spillways and compromise the structure, Reeves said. — CBS News, 19 June 2026

The area the plan will protect are those that lie west of the spillways — about two-thirds of Broward’s metro expanse. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026

That winter, the concrete spillway collapsed in one section during massive storms, prompting the evacuation of 188,000 people as water raged into the river below, and concerns grew that part of the dam might fail. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 12 May 2026

Emergency spillway concerns at Kleber Dam, including leakage at the concrete weir and continued erosion risk. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for spillway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

spillway

noun

spill·​way ˈspil-ˌwā 

: a passage for extra water to run over or around a dam