English Dictionary

Watch example usage of "spoil"

spoil

WIKTIONARY

spoil

Verb

∙ To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour. [from 14th c.] transitive, archaic
∙ To strip or deprive (someone) of their possessions; to rob, despoil. [from 14th c.] transitive, archaic
∙ To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.). [from 14th c.] transitive, intransitive, archaic
∙ To carry off (goods) by force; to steal. [14th-19th c.] transitive, obsolete
∙ To ruin; to damage (something) in some way making it unfit for use. [from 16th c.] transitive
∙ To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess. [from 17th c.] transitive
∙ Of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay. [from 17th c.] intransitive
∙ To render (a ballot paper) invalid by deliberately defacing it. [from 19th c.] transitive
∙ To reveal the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time. transitive

Noun

∙ (Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
∙ Material (such as rock or earth) removed in the course of an excavation, or in mining or dredging. Tailings. uncountable

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