Definition of Spoil

Pronunciation: spoil
v. t.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 possessions.
[imp. & p. p. Spoiled (spoild) or Spoilt (spoilt); p. pr. & vb. n. Spoiling.]
2.To seize by violence; to take by force; to plunder.
3.To cause to decay and perish; to corrupt; 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.
v. i.1.To practice plunder or robbery.
2.To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay; as, fruit will soon spoil in warm weather.
n.1.That which is taken from another by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.
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.
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; waste.
5.Corruption; cause of corruption.
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 offices and their emoluments as so much plunder to be distributed among their active partisans by those who are chosen to responsible offices of administration.


Related Words

accommodate, acquisition, baby, baffle, balk, be after, be all thumbs, be desirous of, be spoiling for, blackmail, blast, blemish, blight, blot, blunder, blunder away, blunder into, blunder on, blunder upon, boggle, boodle, booty, botch, brave, break down, break up, bumble, bungle, butcher, canker, cater to, challenge, checkmate, circumvent, cocker, coddle, commit a gaffe, confound, confront, contravene, corrupt, cosset, counter, counteract, countermand, counterwork, crave, cross, crumble, crumble into dust, curdle, dash, decompose, deface, defeat, defile, deflorate, defy, demolish, depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devastate, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, disfigure, dish, disrupt, dote on, dysphemize, elude, fall into decay, fall to pieces, faux pas, favor, fester, fleece, flounder, flummox, foil, forage, foray, force, freeboot, frustrate, fumble, gangrene, give way to, go bad, go off, go to pieces, goods, grab, graft, gratify, gut, harm, haul, hot goods, humor, hurt, impair, indulge, injure, itch for, kill, knock the chocks, look a fright, look a mess, look bad, look for, look like hell, look something terrible, loot, lumber, mar, maraud, mess up, mildew, miscue, molder, mollycoddle, mortify, moulder, much, muddle, muff, murder, necrose, nonplus, oblige, offend, offend the eye, outrage, pamper, perks, perplex, perquisite, pickings, pillage, play havoc with, please, plunder, pork barrel, prejudice, prey on, prize, public till, public trough, putrefy, putresce, queer, raid, rankle, ransack, ravage, raven, ravish, reive, rifle, sabotage, sack, satisfy, scar, scotch, slip, snafu, sphacelate, spike, spoils, spoils of office, spoliate, spoliation, squeeze, stealings, stolen goods, stonewall, stumble, stump, suppurate, swag, sweep, taint, take, tarnish, thwart, till, trip, turn, uglify, upset, violate, vitiate, wreck, yearn for, yield to


Search

Word:

Browse

Split ring
split shot
Split stitch
Split stuff
Split switch
Split ticket
Split wheel
Split-tail
Split-tongued
Splitfeet
Splitter
Splotch
Splotchy
Splurge
Splutter
Splutterer
Spodomancy
Spodomantic
Spodumene
Spoffish
Spoil bank
Spoilable
Spoiler
Spoilfive
Spoilful
Spoilsman
Spoilsmonger
Spoke
Spoken
Spokeshave
Spokesman
Spoliate
Spoliation
Spoliative
Spoliator
Spoliatory
Spondaic
Spondee
Spondulics
Spondyl
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
© 2008 Interapple, Inc.Cover