Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Spill
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 on top of a set of the main timbering in advancing a level in loose ground.
Syn. – forepole; spile{4}.
3.
A little sum of money.
[Obs.]
Ayliffe.
Spill
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Spilt
(spĭlt)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Spilling
.] To cover or decorate with slender pieces of wood, metal, ivory, etc.; to inlay.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
Spill
(spĭl)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Spilled
(spĭld)
, or Spilt
(spĭlt)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Spilling
.] [OE.
spillen
, usually, to destroy, AS. spillan
, spildan
, to destroy; akin to Icel. spilla
to destroy, Sw. spilla
to spill, Dan. spilde
, LG. & 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
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 bloodAnd 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
,Verb.
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 1828 Edition
Spill
SPILL
,Noun.
1.
A small peg or pin for stopping a cask; as a vent hole stopped with a spill.2.
A little bar or pin of iron.3.
A little sum of money. [Not in use.]SPILL
,Verb.
T.
1.
To suffer to fall or run out of a vessel; to lose to suffer to be scattered; applied only to fluids and to substances whose particles are small and loose. Thus we spill water from a pail; we spill spirit or oil from a bottle; we spill quicksilver or powders form a vessel or a paper; we spill sand or flour.2.
To suffer to be shed; as, a man spills his own blood.3.
To cause to flow out or lose; to shed; as, a man spills another's blood. [This is applied to cases of murder or other homicide, but not to venesection. In the later case we say, to let or take blood.]4.
To mischief; to destroy; as, to spill the mind or soul; to spill glory; to spill forms, &c. [This application is obsolete and now improper.]5.
TO throw away.6.
In seamen's language, to discharge the wind out of the cavity or belly of a sail.SPILL
, v.i.1.
To waste; to be prodigal. [Not in use.]2.
TO be shed; to be suffered to fall, he lost or wasted. He was so topfull of himself, that he let it spill on all the company.