Spillway
/ˈspɪl.weɪ/noun
A channel or passage that allows excess water to escape from a dam or reservoir.
Did you know?"Spillway" is a modern engineering compound, not an ancient occult word, but its first element traces back to Old English *spillan*, meaning to destroy or waste—so even here, English preserves the language of loss.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
spillan
“to destroy, ruin, waste”
Middle English
ME
spillen
“to destroy, waste, or shed”
Late Middle English
ME
spill
“to cause liquid to run out or be lost”
19th Century
English
spillway
“a channel for carrying off overflow water”
Modern English
English
spillway
“a structure that safely releases excess water from a dam or reservoir”