▪ I. ˈoverspill, n.
[over- 5.]
a. That which is spilt over or overflows; usually fig., esp. of surplus population leaving a country. Now usu. the movement of surplus population from a city to a less heavily populated area of the same country; this surplus population or the housing or new area occupied by it. Also transf.
| 1884 Pall Mall G. 8 Nov. 12/1 A colony capable of receiving the overspill of her population, or of furnishing her with all tropical produce. 1892 Baring-Gould Trag. Caesars I. 206 In the middle ages the overspill of the men became mercenaries to foreign courts. 1899 Edin. Rev. Oct. 289 This stream is an overspill from the main river. 1930 Times 22 Apr. 6/7 On the south lie the famous South Downs, within range of the overspill from the seaside towns. 1940 J. Buchan Memory Hold-the-Door vi. 145 Emigration undertaken as a reasoned policy..and not as a mere overspill of population. 1944 Daily Tel. 12 July 4/4 When one member objected to Mr. Morrison's use in connection with population of the word ‘overspill’, the Minister admitted that it was ugly, though convenient. 1946 Nature 13 July 39/1 Public interest has been stimulated equally by the controversies over the proposals for dealing with Manchester's overspill in a new town at Mobberley, or the even larger overspill problem of Liverpool. 1947 Daily Mail 22 May 1/1 We are apt to be too much concerned with the new satellites and ‘overspills’. We should first reconstruct the other cities. 1955 Times 12 May 15/2 Since 1951 Socialist power there has been improved by an overspill of families of men and women who work in the factories and machine shops of Swindon. 1958 Times 3 Oct. 14/5 Although an overspill has been necessary to accommodate them all comfortably..most of the paintings look very handsome. 1959 Economist 3 July 42/1 Diversification may thus proceed from an overspill of strength in one department or another. 1965 A. Garner Elidor xv. 111 ‘That's what you must expect when you have overspill in a decent area,’ said Mrs. Watson. ‘They shouldn't be allowed to build out in the country. People aren't going to change when they move from the city.’ 1972 F. Warner Lying Figures ii. 15 Epigyne is lit by the overspill from the two spots. 1972 Times 21 Dec. 4/4 Overspill, the planned movement of people who do not want to go to towns that do not want to have them. 1976 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Nanny Bird xvi. 212 The next wave..struck us..and the two men huddled on the floor of the cockpit received the first overspill..from the lee side. |
b. attrib.
| 1945 Ann. Reg. 1944 63 The Bill for the purchase of so⁓called ‘overspill’ areas where those who were crowded out could be accommodated. 1946 [see sense a above]. 1952 Economist 21 June 799/2 No less than 28 of these [district councils] are intended under the plan to absorb ‘overspill’ population coming from Wolverhampton, Walsall,..and other congested towns... Over a quarter of the new houses..would form part of ‘overspill’ schemes. 1958 Spectator 30 May 710/1 Recent ‘overspill’ housing policies. 1966 New Statesman 28 Jan. 140/2 Nor are we likely to get any transitional or ‘overspill’ benefit because of the restrictive provisos. 1972 Guardian 8 Sept. 6/5 Official overspill schemes and the movement to the suburbs..account for only half the population drift: the rest are leaving the country. 1975 Cox & Boyson Black Paper 1975 30/1 The school is built on the edge of a city overspill estate. Ibid. 31/2 There will be difficulties in any overspill area where people are moved away from family and familiar surroundings. 1976 T. Stoppard Dirty Linen 9 An overspill meeting room for House of Commons business in the tower of Big Ben. |
▪ II. overˈspill, v.
[over- 5.]
trans. To spill over the edge of the containing vessel. Also, to cause (something) to spill over; spec. to remove (surplus population) from a city. Also intr., to spill over; to overflow. Hence overˈspilling ppl. a.
| 1855 Bailey Mystic 7 Ere earth Like the libation of a crowned bowl, O'erspilled the depths of the unknown abyss. 1887 G. L. Taylor Centennial Poem 13 Apr., Her Newton, born a quart cup not o'erspilling. 1958 Times Rev. Industry Feb. 24/1 Some 70,000 people are to be ‘overspilled’ from Glasgow City..into the new towns of East Kilbride and Cumbernauld. 1961 Times Lit. Suppl. 27 Jan. 51/2 We overspill our savings..onto the backward nations. 1962 Times 7 Mar. 11/4 The process of being over-spilled in a familiar country-side..is bound to be at least slightly deterrent to the true Cockney. 1963 Listener 21 Mar. 516/1 The need to re-house ever more overspilling Londoners. 1970 G. F. Newman Sir, You Bastard vii. 196 The eighteen prisoners who finally stood charged over-spilled the dock at the committal proceedings. 1972 Accountant 28 Sept. 392/2 It is an illusion..for internal auditors to think that, by overspilling into management functions and systems design, they will enhance the status..of their profession. 1977 Daily Tel. 14 Feb. 6/7, 30,000 homes were bulldozed inside 10 years and the occupants ‘overspilled’ beyond the city boundaries in the new or expanded towns of Runcorn, Skelmersdale, [etc.]. |