Spill (?), n. [&root;170. Cf. Spell a splinter.]

1.

A bit of wood split off; a splinter.

[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2.

A slender piece of anything.

Specifically: --

(a)

A peg or pin for plugging a hole, as in a cask; a spile

.

(b)

A metallic rod or pin

.

(c)

A small roll of paper, or slip of wood, used as a lamplighter, etc.

(d) Mining

One of the thick laths or poles driven horizontally ahead of the main timbering in advancing a level in loose ground

.

3.

A little sum of money.

[Obs.]

Ayliffe.

 

© Webster 1913.


Spill, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spilt (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Spilling.]

To cover or decorate with slender pieces of wood, metal, ivory, etc.; to inlay.

[Obs.]

Spenser.

 

© Webster 1913.


Spill (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spilled (?), or Spilt (); p. pr. & vb. n. Spilling.] [OE. spillen,sually, to destroy, AS. spillan, spildan, to destroy; akin to Icel. spilla to destroy, Sw. spilla to spill, Dan. spilde,G. & D. spillen to squander, OHG. spildan.]

1.

To destroy; to kill; to put an end to.

[Obs.]

And gave him to the queen, all at her will To choose whether she would him save or spill. Chaucer.

Greater glory think [it] to save than spill. Spenser.

2.

To mar; to injure; to deface; hence, to destroy by misuse; to waste.

[Obs.]

They [the colors] disfigure the stuff and spill the whole workmanship. Puttenham.

Spill not the morning, the quintessence of day, in recreations. Fuller.

3.

To suffer to fall or run out of a vessel; to lose, or suffer to be scattered; -- applied to fluids and to substances whose particles are small and loose; as, to spill water from a pail; to spill quicksilver from a vessel; to spill powder from a paper; to spill sand or flour.

Spill differs from pour in expressing accidental loss, -- a loss or waste contrary to purpose.

4.

To cause to flow out and be lost or wasted; to shed, or suffer to be shed, as in battle or in manslaughter; as, a man spills another's blood, or his own blood.

And to revenge his blood so justly spilt. Dryden.

5. Naut.

To relieve a sail from the pressure of the wind, so that it can be more easily reefed or furled, or to lessen the strain.

Spilling line Naut., a rope used for spilling, or dislodging, the wind from the belly of a sail.

Totten.

<-- Spill, n. An instance of spilling. Oil spill, an accidental release of oil, usually into the ocean, due to damage to an oil tanker or uncontrolled release from an underwater well. -->

 

© Webster 1913.


Spill, v. i.

1.

To be destroyed, ruined, or wasted; to come to ruin; to perish; to waste.

[Obs.]

That thou wilt suffer innocents to spill. Chaucer.

2.

To be shed; to run over; to fall out, and be lost or wasted.

"He was so topful of himself, that he let it spill on all the company."

I. Watts.

 

© Webster 1913.