- spill
- 1
past tense and past participle spilt, especially BrE spilled
especially AmE
verb
1 (I, T) if you spill a liquid or if it spills, it accidentally flows over the edge of a container: spill sth down/on/over: Oh no! I've spilt coffee all down my shirt!(+ on/over): He slipped and the wine spilled all over the carpet.2 (intransitive always + adv/prep) if people spill out of somewhere, they move out in large groups(+ out/into/onto etc): Crowds from the theatre were spilling onto the street.3 spill the beans informal to tell something that someone else wanted you to keep a secret4 spill your guts AmE to tell someone everything you know about something, especially because you are upset: some drunk spilling his guts to me at the bar5 spill blood literary to kill or wound people—see also: cry over spilt milk cry 1 (5) spill over phrasal verb (I) if a problem or bad situation spills over, it spreads and begins to affect other places, people etc (+ into): There is a danger that the conflict will spill over into neighbouring towns. 2 noun1 (C, U) an act of spilling something or an amount of something that is spilled: oil spill: The oil spill in Alaska threatens ecological catastrophe.2 (C) a piece of wood or twisted paper for lighting lamps, fires etc3 (C) old-fashioned a fall from a horse, bicycle etc
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.