oil spill

IPA/ˈɔɪl ˌspɪl/
IPA/ˈɔɪl ˌspɪl/

oil spill — noun

1. a sudden escape of oil into the sea or onto land, usually from a damaged ship, p

1.名詞B2
釋義

a sudden escape of oil into the sea or onto land, usually from a damaged ship, pipe, or storage tank, that harms wildlife and the environment

例句

The oil spill off the coast killed thousands of seabirds within a week.

oil spill as the subject of environmental damage

Workers in white suits spent months cleaning the oil spill from the beach.

collocation: clean the oil spill

同義詞
  • oil leak

    a slower, ongoing escape of oil, often smaller than a spill

  • oil slick

    the visible layer of oil floating on water after a spill

用法筆記

Often paired with a cause (tanker, pipeline, rig) and a clean-up verb (clean up, contain, respond to). The harm to wildlife and coastlines is usually the focus.

常見錯誤

There was an oil spill on the kitchen floor.
There was an oil patch on the kitchen floor.
💡'oil spill' means large-scale environmental pollution, not a small everyday mess.