Elöntés

Elöntés is a Hungarian noun formed from the verb elöntani, meaning to overflow, flood, or spill. It is used to describe both natural and technical phenomena where liquid exceeds its container or boundary. In everyday language elöntés refers to the overflow of water or other liquids from a vessel, or to a spill that covers a surface or area.

In hydrology and civil engineering, elöntés denotes inundation or flooding of land caused by rising water levels, such as rivers overflowing during heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt. It can also describe situations where water breaches a barrier and floods adjacent areas. The term is commonly used in discussions of flood risk, drainage, and land use planning.

In more general or practical contexts, elöntés can refer to the act of pouring out or spilling liquid from one receptacle to another, though the more precise verb is often elönteni or pouring is described with instructions about avoiding elöntés. In industrial contexts, the term may describe accidental spills or unwanted overflow during handling of liquids; the controlled process of pouring molten material into a mold is typically called öntés (casting), not elöntés.

Etymology: elöntés consists of the prefix el- (indicating completeness or outward movement) and öntés, from önteni (to pour). See also árvíz, áradás for related flood-related terms.