Lexic.us

Definition of Spoil

1. Noun. (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war). "To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy"

2. Verb. Make a mess of, destroy or ruin. "The pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement"

3. Noun. The act of spoiling something by causing damage to it. "Her spoiling my dress was deliberate"

4. Verb. Become unfit for consumption or use. "The meat must be eaten before it spoils"

5. Noun. The act of stripping and taking by force.

6. Verb. Alter from the original.

7. Verb. Treat with excessive indulgence. "Let's not mollycoddle our students!"

8. Verb. Hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of. "Sam cannot spoil Sue "; "Foil your opponent"

9. Verb. Have a strong desire or urge to do something. "He is spoiling for a fight"

10. Verb. Destroy and strip of its possession. "They want to spoil the prisoners "; "The soldiers raped the beautiful country"

11. Verb. Make imperfect. "Nothing marred her beauty"

Definition of Spoil

1. v. t. 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.

2. v. i. To practice plunder or robbery.

3. n. That which is taken from another by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.

Definition of Spoil

1. to impair the value or quality of [v SPOILED or SPOILT, SPOILING, SPOILS]

Medical Definition of Spoil

1. 1. That which is taken from another by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty. "Gentle gales, Fanning their odouriferous 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. "Villainous company hath been the spoil of me." (Shak) 6. The slough, or cast skin, of a serpent or other animal. 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. Origin: Cf. OF. Espoille, L. Spolium. 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. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Spoil

spodophorous spodoptera Spodoptera Spodoptera exigua Spodoptera frugiperda spodosol spodosols spods spodumene spodumene

spodumenes spoffish spoffish spoffy spoil (current term) spoil (current term) spoilable spoilables spoilage spoilages

spoilation spoiled spoiler spoilers spoilfive spoilful spoiling spoils spoilsman spoilsmen

Other Resources: