overspill

C2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈoʊvɚˌspɪl/ UK /ˈəʊvəspɪl/ See IPA manual

Freq #188437

Meanings

1

noun
something that spills, flows, or extends beyond a container, boundary, or available capacity

Temporary rooms were opened to accommodate the overspill from the crowded hall.
2

noun
British: people or development relocated from an overcrowded urban area

The new town was planned to receive overspill from the nearby city.
3

verb
to spill or extend beyond a limit, boundary, or capacity

Vigorous vines overspill the wall and trail toward the pavement.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something that spills,... overflow surplusspillover

2 noun · british: people or... urban overflowrelocation

3 verb · to spill or extend beyond a... overflowspill over

Opposites

containment

Word family

Forms overspilling

Related forms spill overflow surplus

Etymology

A compound of over- + spill. The literal idea of material spilling beyond its limit broadened to crowds, development, emotion, and other kinds of excess; British planning language gave the noun a specialized urban-relocation sense.

Topics

Cause, Change & Process

External links

# overspill

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈoʊvɚˌspɪl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈəʊvəspɪl/
**Frequency rank:** 188437

## Meanings
1. something that spills, flows, or extends beyond a container, boundary, or available capacity
2. British: people or development relocated from an overcrowded urban area
3. to spill or extend beyond a limit, boundary, or capacity

## Examples
- Temporary rooms were opened to accommodate the overspill from the crowded hall.
- The new town was planned to receive overspill from the nearby city.
- Vigorous vines overspill the wall and trail toward the pavement.

## Synonyms
- overflow
- surplus
- spillover

## Antonyms
- containment

## Related Forms
- spill
- overflow
- surplus

## Etymology
A compound of over- + spill. The literal idea of material spilling beyond its limit broadened to crowds, development, emotion, and other kinds of excess; British planning language gave the noun a specialized urban-relocation sense.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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