spillway General term for a glacial drainage channel cut by water during glaciation, and normally including three varieties: (a) channels cut by water escaping from a glacially impounded lake (see OVERFLOW CHANNEL); (b) channels cut by meltwater released from a decaying glacier (see MELTWATER CHANNEL); and (c) channels cut by a stream deflected by an advancing glacier. Impressive examples were developed in central Europe (the Urstromtäler of northern Germany) when the Scandinavian ice sheet diverted streams flowing north from the southern highlands.

spillway A glacial drainage channel cut by water during glaciation, of which there are two principal varieties: (a)channels cut by water escaping from a glacially impounded lake (overflow channel);(b)channels cut by meltwater released from a glacier (meltwater channel) or cut by streams and rivers deflected by a glacier. Impressive examples were developed in central Europe (the Urstromtäler of northern Germany and Pradoliny of Poland) when the Scandinavian ice sheet diverted streams flowing north from the southern highlands.

spill·way / ˈspilˌwā/ • n. a passage for surplus water from a dam. ∎  a natural drainage channel cut by water from melting glaciers or ice fields.