[f. SPILL v. + -ING1.]
† 1. The action of destroying, spoiling or marring.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 999. Ne beheold hit nan þing … buton folces ʓeswinc & feos spilling.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 469. Spyllynge, or lesynge or schendynge, confusio, deperdicio.
1496. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 270. For spilling of his hous in Striuiling be the Abbot of Vnresoun.
1600. Gowrie Consp., A iv. Commanding him … that hee should not spare for spilling of his horse.
1647. Hexham, I. A spilling, spoiling, or marring.
† 2. Wasting; wasteful employment. Obs.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 5425. Wan þay were to-gadre y-met, Spillyng of speche þar was gret y-mad bytwene hem þanne.
3. The action of causing to flow or run out wastefully; shedding; effusion.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxix. 11. What profit is in spillynge of my blode?
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIII. 19. The battale thair so felloune was, And sua richt gret spilling of blud.
c. 1440. Capgrave, Life St. Kath., V. 1631. He is cause of spillyng of mekel gentel blood.
1483. Cath. Angl., 355/1. A Spyllynge, perfusio.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1236. One justly weeps; the other takes in hand No cause, but company, of her drops spilling.
1623. Cockeram, II., A Spilling commonly of blood, effusion.
1844. Tupper, Crock of G., xlviii. 314. About a thimbleful of water, after fifty spillings, arrived safely in a tumbler.
b. With advs., as out, over. Also transf.
1883. Ellen H. Rollins (‘E. H. Arr’), New Eng. Bygones, 36. The daily spilling-out from the doors of family life.
1909. J. Stuart, Burma thro’ Cent., i. 9. The spilling over from the kingdom or kingdoms of Yunnan probably began fully two thousand years ago.
4. pl. That which is spilt.
1772–3. Act 13 Geo. III., c. 52 § 6. The other four grains shall be allowed him towards his waste and spillings in making the said assays.
1800. Colquhoun, Comm. Thames, iii. 99. The evil practice of staving Casks … to enlarge the quantity of spillings of Sugar, Coffee, &c.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Passion & Princ., vi. Sundry circular deposits of ale and porter, the accidental spillings of last night’s carouse.
1841. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xv. They trace the spillings of full pitchers on the heated ground.
5. attrib. and Comb., as spilling-place; spilling-line, Naut. (see quots. 1769, 1882); spilling-staysail, a sail controlled by a spilling-line.
1706. Stevens, Span. Dict., I. Derramadero, a scattering, or spilling place.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 314. High o’er the lee yard-arm the canvas swell’d: By spilling lines embraced, with brails confined. Ibid. (1769), Dict. Marine (1780), Spilling lines,… ropes fixed occasionally to the main-sail and fore-sail of a ship,… for reefing or furling them more conveniently.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxxi. Reef-tackles were rove to the courses, and spilling lines to the topsails.
1851. Kipping, Sailmaking (ed. 2), 5. There are … sometimes a mizen-royal-staysail, and main-spilling-staysail.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 125. The spilling lines … are small pieces of rope fitted on the fore side of the sail for picking up the reef line in reefing topsails.
