- spoil
- spoil [spoil]vt.spoiled or Brit. spoilt, spoiling [ME spoilen < MFr espoillier < L spoliare, to plunder < spolium, arms taken from a defeated foe, plunder, orig., hide stripped from an animal < IE base * (s)p(h)el-, to split, tear off > SPALL, SPILL1]1. to damage or injure in such a way as to make useless, valueless, etc.; destroy2. to mar or impair the enjoyment, quality, or functioning of [rain spoiled the picnic]3. to overindulge so as to cause to demand or expect too much4. Archaica) to strip (a person) of goods, money, etc. by forceb) to rob; pillage; plunderc) to seize (goods) by forcevi.1. to be damaged or injured in such a way as to become useless, valueless, etc.; specif., to decay, as food2. Archaic to pillage; plundern.[ME spoile < MFr espoille < L spolia, pl.]1. [usually pl.]a) goods, territory, etc. taken by force in war; plunder; loot; booty☆ b) public offices to which the successful political party has the power of appointment2. an object of plunder; prey3. waste material removed in making excavations, etc.4. Archaic the act of plundering; spoliation5. Obs. damage; impairment——————☆ be spoiling forto be aggressively eager for (a fight, etc.)spoilableadj.SYN.- SPOIL (now, more commonly, spoils) refers to any property, territory, etc. taken in war by the conqueror; PILLAGE suggests violence and destructiveness in the taking of spoils; PLUNDER is equivalent to PILLAGE but also applies to property taken by bandits, highwaymen, etc.; BOOTY1 suggests plunder taken by a band or gang, to be divided among the members; PRIZE1 refers specifically to spoils taken at sea, esp. the taking of an enemy warship or its cargo; LOOT, a more derogatory equivalent for any of the preceding, emphasizes the immorality or predatory nature of the act
English World dictionary. V. Neufeldt. 2014.