Spoil

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Spoil, v. t. [F. spolier, OF. espoillier, fr. L. spoliare, fr. spolium spoil. Cf. Despoil, Spoliation.].

•  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.  Ex. iii. 22.  [1913 Webster]

  "My sons their old, unhappy sire despise,
  Spoiled of his kingdom, and deprived of eyes."  [1913 Webster]
•  To seize by violence; to take by force; to plunder.  [1913 Webster]

  "No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to decay and perish; to corrupt; to vitiate; to mar.  [1913 Webster]

  "Spiritual pride spoils many graces."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

Spoil, v. i. 

•  To practice plunder or robbery.  [1913 Webster]

  "Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil."  [1913 Webster]
•  To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay; as, fruit will soon spoil in warm weather.  [1913 Webster]

Spoil, n. [Cf. OF. espoille, L. spolium.].

•  That which is taken from another by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.  [1913 Webster]

  "Gentle gales,
  Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
  Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
  Those balmy spoils."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "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."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is gained by strength or effort.  [1913 Webster]

  "Each science and each art his spoil."  [1913 Webster]
•  The act or practice of plundering; robbery; waste.  [1913 Webster]

  "The man that hath no music in himself,
  Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
  Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils."  [1913 Webster]
•  Corruption; cause of corruption.  [1913 Webster]

  "Villainous company hath been the spoil of me."  [1913 Webster]
•  The slough, or cast skin, of a serpent or other animal.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Spoil, v. & n.
--v. (past and past part. spoilt or spoiled)
1 tr. a damage; diminish the value of (was spoilt by the rain; will spoil all the fun). b reduce a person's enjoyment etc. of (the news spoiled his dinner).
2 tr. injure the character of (esp. a child, pet, etc.) by excessive indulgence.
3 intr. a (of food) go bad, decay; become unfit for eating. b (usu. in neg.) (of a joke, secret, etc.) become stale through long keeping.
4 tr. render (a ballot paper) invalid by improper marking.
5 tr. (foll. by of) archaic or literary plunder or deprive (a person of a thing) by force or stealth (spoiled him of all his possessions).
--n.
1 (usu. in pl.) a plunder taken from an enemy in war, or seized by force. b esp. joc. profit or advantages gained by succeeding to public office, high position, etc.
2 earth etc. thrown up in excavating, dredging, etc.

Idiom

be spoiling for aggressively seek (a fight etc.). spoils system US the practice of giving public office to the adherents of a successful party. spoilt for choice having so many choices that it is difficult to choose.

Etymology

ME f. OF espoillier, espoille f. L spoliare f. spolium spoil, plunder, or f. DESPOIL

THESAURUS

Spoil

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, damage, dash, decay, decompose, deface, defeat, defile, deflorate, defy, demolish, depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devastate, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, disfigure, dish, disintegrate, 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, mold, 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, rot, ruin, 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, waste, wreck, yearn for, yield to

ROGET THESAURUS

Spoil

Deterioration

VB be worse, be deteriorated, become worse, become deteriorated Adj, have seen better days, deteriorate, degenerate, fall off, wane, ebb, retrograde, decline, droop, go down, go downhill, go from bad to worse, go farther and fare worse, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, run to seed, go to seed, run to waste swale, sweal, lapse, be the worse for, sphacelate: break, break down, spring a leak, crack, start, shrivel, fade, go off, wither, molder, rot, rankle, decay, go bad, go to decay, fall into decay, fall into the sear and yellow leaf, rust, crumble, shake, totter, totter to its fall, perish, die, deteriorate, weaken, put back, set back, taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate, debase, embase, denaturalize, denature, leaven, deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade, ulcerate, stain, discolor, alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice, pervert, prostitute, demoralize, brutalize, render vicious, embitter, acerbate, exacerbate, aggravate, injure, impair, labefy, damage, harm, hurt, shend, scath, scathe, spoil, mar, despoil, dilapidate, waste, overrun, ravage, pillage, wound, stab, pierce, maim, lame, surbate, cripple, hough, hamstring, hit between wind and water, scotch, mangle, mutilate, disfigure, blemish, deface, warp, blight, rot, corrode, erode, wear away, wear out, gnaw, gnaw at the root of, sap, mine, undermine, shake, sap the foundations of, break up, disorganize, dismantle, dismast, destroy, damnify, do one's worst, knock down, deal a blow to, play havoc with, play sad havoc with, play the mischief with, play the deuce with, play the very devil with, play havoc among, play sad havoc among, play the mischief among, play the deuce among, play the very devil among, decimate.

N deterioration, debasement, wane, ebb, recession, retrogradation, decrease, degeneracy, degeneration, degenerateness, degradation, depravation, depravement, devolution, depravity, demoralization, retrogression, masochism, impairment, inquination, injury, damage, loss, detriment, delaceration, outrage, havoc, inroad, ravage, scath, perversion, prostitution, vitiation, discoloration, oxidation, pollution, defoedation, poisoning, venenation, leaven, contamination, canker, corruption, adulteration, alloy, decline, declension, declination, decadence, decadency, falling off, caducity, decrepitude, decay, dilapidation, ravages of time, wear and tear, corrosion, erosion, moldiness, rottenness, moth and rust, dry rot, blight, marasmus, atrophy, collapse, disorganization, delabrement (destruction), aphid, Aphis, plant louse, puceron, vinefretter, vinegrub, wreck, mere wreck, honeycomb, magni nominis umbra, jade, plug, rackabones, skate, tackey, tacky, have seen better days, deteriorate, degenerate, fall off, wane, ebb, retrograde, decline, droop, go down, go downhill, go from bad to worse, go farther and fare worse, jump out of the frying pan into the fire, run to seed, go to seed, run to waste swale, sweal, lapse, be the worse for, sphacelate: break, break down, spring a leak, crack, start, shrivel, fade, go off, wither, molder, rot, rankle, decay, go bad, go to decay, fall into decay, fall into the sear and yellow leaf, rust, crumble, shake, totter, totter to its fall, perish, die, deteriorate, weaken, put back, set back, taint, infect, contaminate, poison, empoison, envenom, canker, corrupt, exulcerate, pollute, vitiate, inquinate, debase, embase, denaturalize, denature, leaven, deflower, debauch, defile, deprave, degrade, ulcerate, stain, discolor, alloy, adulterate, sophisticate, tamper with, prejudice, pervert, prostitute, demoralize, brutalize, render vicious, embitter, acerbate, exacerbate, aggravate, injure, impair, labefy, damage, harm, hurt, shend, scath, scathe, spoil, mar, despoil, dilapidate, waste, overrun, ravage, pillage, wound, stab, pierce, maim, lame, surbate, cripple, hough, hamstring, hit between wind and water, scotch, mangle, mutilate, disfigure, blemish, deface, warp, blight, rot, corrode, erode, wear away, wear out, gnaw, gnaw at the root of, sap, mine, undermine, shake, sap the foundations of, break up, disorganize, dismantle, dismast, destroy, damnify, do one's worst, knock down, deal a blow to, play havoc with, play sad havoc with, play the mischief with, play the deuce with, play the very devil with, play havoc among, play sad havoc among, play the mischief among, play the deuce among, play the very devil among, decimate, Adj, unimproved &c (improve), deteriorated, altered, altered for the worse, injured, sprung, withering, spoiling, on the wane, on the decline, tabid, degenerate, marescent, worse, the worse for, all the worse for, out of repair, out of tune, imperfect, the worse for wear, battered, weathered, weather-beaten, stale, passe, shaken, dilapidated, frayed, faded, wilted, shabby, secondhand, threadbare, worn, worn to a thread, worn to a shadow, worn to the stump, worn to rags, reduced, reduced to a skeleton, far gone, tacky, decayed, moth-eaten, worm-eaten, mildewed, rusty, moldy, spotted, seedy, time-worn, moss-grown, discolored, effete, wasted, crumbling, moldering, rotten, cankered, blighted, tainted, depraved, decrepid, decrepit, broke, busted, broken, out of commission, hors de combat, out of action, broken down, done, done for, done up, worn out, used up, finished, beyond saving, fit for the dust hole, fit for the wastepaper basket, past work, at a low ebb, in a bad way, on one's last legs, undermined, deciduous, nodding to its fall, tottering, past cure, fatigued, retrograde, deleterious, out of the frying pan into the fire, agrescit medendo, what a falling off was there!.

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Lenity

VB be lenient, tolerate, bear with, parcere subjectis, give quarter, indulge, allow one to have his own way, spoil.

Stealing

VB steal, thieve, rob, mug, purloin, pilfer, filch, prig, bag, nim, crib, cabbage, palm, abstract, appropriate, plagiarize, convey away, carry off, abduct, kidnap, crimp, make off with, walk off with, run off with, run away with, spirit away, seize, plunder, pillage, rifle, sack, loot, ransack, spoil, spoliate, despoil, strip, sweep, gut, forage, levy blackmail, pirate, pickeer, maraud, lift cattle, poach, smuggle, run, badger, bail up, hold up, stick up, bunco, bunko, filibuster, swindle, peculate, embezzle, sponge, mulct, rook, bilk, pluck, pigeon, fleece, defraud, obtain under false pretenses, live by one's wits, rob Peter to pay Paul, borrow of Peter to pay Paul, set a thief to catch a thief, disregard the distinction between meum and tuum, fence, launder, launder money.

Booty

N booty, spoil, plunder, prize, loot, swag, pickings, spolia opima, prey, blackmail, stolen goods, manubial.

Satiety

VB sate, satiate, satisfy, saturate, cloy, quench, slake, pall, glut, gorge, surfeit, bore, tire, spoil, have enough of, have quite enough of, have one's fill, have too much of, be satiated.