Definitions for: Spoil


[n] the act of stripping and taking by force
[n] the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it; "her spoiling my dress was deliberate"
[n] (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war); "to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy"
[v] alter from the original
[v] become unfit for consumption or use; "the meat must be eaten before it spoils"
[v] make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty"
[v] destroy and strip of its possession; "The soldiers raped the beautiful country"
[v] have a strong desire or urge to do soemthing; "She is itching to start the project"; "He is spoiling for a fight"
[v] make a mess of, destroy or ruin
[v] hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent"
[v] treat with excessive indulgence; "grandparents often pamper the children"; "Let's not mollycoddle our students!"



Webster (1913) Definition: Spoil, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spoiledor Spoilt; p. pr.
& vb. n. Spoiling.] [F. spolier, OF. espoilelier, fr. L.
spoliare, fr. spolium spoil. Cf. Despoil, Spoliation.]
1. To plunder; to strip by violence; to pillage; to rob; --
with of before the name of the thing taken; as, to spoil
one of his goods or possession. ``Ye shall spoil the
Egyptians.'' --Ex. iii. 22.

My sons their old, unhappy sire despise, Spoiled of
his kingdom, and deprived of eues. --Pope.

2. To seize by violence;; to take by force; to plunder.

No man can enter into a strong man's house, and
spoil his goods, except he will first bind the
strong man. --Mark iii.
27.

3. To cause to decay and perish; to corrput; to vitiate; to
mar.

Spiritual pride spoils many graces. --Jer. Taylor.

4. To render useless by injury; to injure fatally; to ruin;
to destroy; as, to spoil paper; to have the crops spoiled
by insects; to spoil the eyes by reading.


Spoil, v. i.
1. To practice plunder or robbery.

Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break
forth to rob and spoil. --Spenser.

2. To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay;
as, fruit will soon spoil in warm weather.


Spoil, n. [Cf. OF. espoille, L. spolium.]
1. That which is taken from another by violence; especially,
the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.

Gentle gales, Fanning their odoriferous wings,
dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they
stole Those balmy spoils. --Milton.

2. Public offices and their emoluments regarded as the
peculiar property of a successful party or faction, to be
bestowed for its own advantage; -- commonly in the plural;
as to the victor belong the spoils.

From a principle of gratitude I adhered to the
coalition; my vote was counted in the day of battle,
but I was overlooked in the division of the spoil.
--Gibbon.

3. That which is gained by strength or effort.

each science and each art his spoil. --Bentley.

4. The act or practice of plundering; robbery; aste.

The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not
moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for
treason, stratagems, and spoil. --Shak.

5. Corruption; cause of corruption. [Archaic]

Villainous company hath been the spoil of me.
--Shak.

6. The slough, or cast skin, of a serpent or other animal.
[Obs.] --Bacon.

Spoil bank, a bank formed by the earth taken from an
excavation, as of a canal.

The spoils system, the theory or practice of regarding
public and their emoluments as so much plunder to be
distributed among their active partisans by those who are
chosen to responsible offices of administration.

Synonyms: baby, baffle, ball up, bilk, blow, bobble, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, cocker, coddle, corrupt, cosset, cross, deflower, despoil, despoilation, despoilment, despoliation, featherbed, flub, fluff, foil, foul up, frustrate, fuck up, fumble, go bad, impair, indulge, itch, louse up, mar, mess up, mishandle, mollycoddle, muck up, muff, pamper, plunder, queer, rape, scotch, screw up, spoilage, spoilation, spoiling, spoliation, thwart, violate, vitiate

See Also: addle, adulterate, blemish, cloud, curdle, damage, dash, debase, decay, deface, defile, desire, destroy, dilute, disappoint, disfigure, do by, double cross, fail, forbid, foreclose, forestall, go wrong, handle, injury, let down, miscarry, modify, pillage, pillaging, plundering, preclude, prevent, ruin, ruin, short-circuit, stolen property, stretch, sully, taint, treat, want

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