spillway

[ spil-wey ]

noun

1. a passageway through which surplus water escapes from a reservoir, lake, or the like.

spillway

/ ˈspɪlˌweɪ /

noun

1. a channel that carries away surplus water, as from a dam Also calledwasteweirspill

Word History and Origins

Origin of spillway¹

First recorded in 1885–90; spill ¹ + way ¹

Example Sentences

Fluctuations in the lake due to floods are controlled by an immense spillway dam built of concrete.

From Project Gutenberg

The spillway is so arranged that as the level of the water in the lake rises the discharging capacity increases.

From Project Gutenberg

The spillway, too, if enlarged by explosives, would make a nasty hole to build up.

From Project Gutenberg

The spillway is a concrete-lined opening cut through a hill of rock near the center of the dam.

From Project Gutenberg

Behind was the bubbling, leaping flow of the spillway itself, and Gatun Dam.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• inundation