spill
/spɪl/ · spill
noun
- A mess of something that has been dropped. The spill on the floor was a real mess to clean up.
- A fall or stumble. The bruise is from a bad spill he had last week.
- A small stick or piece of paper used to light a candle, cigarette etc by the transfer of a flame from a fire. He used a spill to light his cigarette.
verb
- To drop something so that it spreads out or makes a mess; to accidentally pour. I spilled some sticky juice on the kitchen floor.
- To spread out or fall out, as above. Some sticky juice spilled onto the kitchen floor.
- To drop something that was intended to be caught. He tried to catch the ball but ended up spilling it.
Did you know? The term 'spillikin' is an old English word for a small stick used to light a pipe or a candle, which is a related sense of the word 'spill'.