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.; destroy

2. 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 much

4. Archaic

a) to strip (a person) of goods, money, etc. by force

b) to rob; pillage; plunder

c) to seize (goods) by force

vi.

1. to be damaged or injured in such a way as to become useless, valueless, etc.; specif., to decay, as food

2. Archaic to pillage; plunder

n.

[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 appointment

2. an object of plunder; prey

3. waste material removed in making excavations, etc.

4. Archaic the act of plundering; spoliation

5. Obs. damage; impairment

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☆ be spoiling for

to be aggressively eager for (a fight, etc.)

spoilable

adj.

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