spill

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

v. to tell someone a secret or private information.

v. to disclose confidential information, often used in the idiomatic phrase 'spill the beans'.

“I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I finally spilled the secret to my sister.”

“After hours of questioning, the witness finally spilled the details regarding the hidden accounts and the offshore transactions.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. an amount of liquid that has been accidentally poured out.

n. an instance of spilling or the quantity of substance that has been spilled.

“There is a large water spill in the hallway that someone needs to clean up.”

“The laboratory technician immediately followed the safety protocol to contain the chemical spill before it could reach the drainage system.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a fall from a bike, a horse, or a vehicle.

n. a fall or tumble, particularly from a horse or a moving vehicle.

“He took a nasty spill off his bicycle and bruised his knee.”

“The jockey was lucky to escape serious injury after taking a heavy spill during the final jump of the race.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic

n. a thin piece of wood or paper used to move a flame from a fire to a candle.

n. a thin strip of wood or a twist of paper used for lighting a lamp, pipe, or fire.

“He used a wooden spill to light the candles on the high shelf.”

“Before the widespread availability of matches, households kept a jar of paper spills on the mantelpiece to transfer fire from the hearth.”