spillage

Everyday

1. A spillage is an amount of liquid or other stuff that has spilled out by accident. tree →
2. Spillage is the act of spilling, as in "oil spillage". tree →

In the lessons

In science labs and in school dinners, a spillage must be wiped up quickly to stop slips; there may be a "spillage kit". In safety, signs warn of a spillage on the floor. In geography and news, oil spillages from ships harm sea birds and beaches. Phrases: "clean up a spillage", "oil spillage", "chemical spillage", "report any spillage".

Examples

• Please tell a teacher about any spillage in the lab. tree →
• There was a milk spillage in the dinner hall. tree →
• A yellow sign warned of a spillage on the shop floor. tree →
• The oil spillage killed hundreds of seabirds. tree →
• The cleaners mopped up the spillage straight away. tree →
• The lorry crashed and caused a spillage of paint on the road. tree →

Note

More formal than "spill", which is the everyday word ("a spill", "I spilled my juice"). It can be countable (a spillage) or uncountable (prevent spillage). In the UK the past of spill is "spilled" or "spilt"; in the USA usually "spilled".