spoil

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  The friends' picnic is spoiled by the rain
• WordNet 3.6
  • v spoil alter from the original
  • v spoil become unfit for consumption or use "the meat must be eaten before it spoils"
  • v spoil make imperfect "nothing marred her beauty"
  • v spoil destroy and strip of its possession "The soldiers raped the beautiful country"
  • v spoil have a strong desire or urge to do something "She is itching to start the project","He is spoiling for a fight"
  • v spoil make a mess of, destroy or ruin "I botched the dinner and we had to eat out","the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement"
  • v spoil hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge","foil your opponent"
  • v spoil treat with excessive indulgence "grandparents often pamper the children","Let's not mollycoddle our students!"
  • n spoil the act of stripping and taking by force
  • n spoil the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it "her spoiling my dress was deliberate"
  • n spoil (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war) "to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy"
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Additional illustrations & photos:

The Spoils of War 105

• Interesting fact: Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
• • Spoil Corruption; cause of corruption. "Villainous company hath been the spoil of me."
  • Spoil 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 ."
  • Spoil That which is gained by strength or effort. "Each science and each art his spoil ."
  • Spoil 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 ."
  • Spoil The act or practice of plundering; robbery; waste. "The man that hath no music in himself,
    Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
    Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils ."
  • Spoil The slough, or cast skin, of a serpent or other animal.
  • Spoil To cause to decay and perish; to corrupt; to vitiate; to mar. "Spiritual pride spoils many graces."
  • Spoil To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay; as, fruit will soon spoil in warm weather.
  • Spoil 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. "Ye shall spoil the Egyptians.""My sons their old, unhappy sire despise, Spoiled of his kingdom, and deprived of eyes."
  • Spoil To practice plunder or robbery. "Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil ."
  • Spoil 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 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."
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• Interesting fact: Wine is kept in tinted bottles because it will spoil if it's exposed to light.
• • n spoil Arms and armor stripped from a defeated enemy; the plunder taken from an enemy in war; booty; loot; hence, that which is seized or falls to one after any struggle; specifically, in recent use, the patronage and emoluments of office, considered as a reward for zeal or service rendered in a struggle of parties: frequently in the plural: as, the spoils of capture; to the victor belong the spoils; the spoils of office; party spoils.
  • n spoil The act of plundering, pillaging, or despoiling; the act of spoliation; pillage; robbery.
  • n spoil Injury; damage; waste; havoc; destruction.
  • n spoil An object of pillage or spoliation; a thing to be preyed upon; a prey.
  • n spoil Waste material, as that obtained in mining, quarrying, excavating canals, making railway cuttings, etc. Compare spoil-bank.
  • n spoil The slough, or cast skin, of a serpent or other animal.
  • n spoil In spoil-five, a drawn game.
  • n spoil Synonyms Plunder, Booty, etc. See pillage, n.
  • spoil To strip with violence; rob; pillage; plunder; despoil: with of before the thing taken.
  • spoil To seize or take by force; carry off as booty.
  • spoil To destroy; ruin; injure; mar; impair; render useless, or less valuable, potent, or the like; seriously impair the quality, value, soundness, beauty, usefulness, pleasantness, etc., of: as, to spoil a thing in the making; to spoil one's chances of promotion; to spoil the fun.
  • spoil To injure, vitiate, or impair in any way; especially, as applied to persons, to vitiate or impair in character or disposition; render less filial, obedient, affectionate, mannerly, modest, contented, or the like: as, to spare the rod and spoil the child; to spoil one with flattery.
  • spoil To cut up; carve: as, to spoil a hen.
  • spoil To engage in plunder and robbery; pillage; rob.
  • spoil To decay; become tainted or unsavory; lose freshness: as, fruit and fish soon spoil in warm weather.
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• Interesting fact: Wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles.
• • v.t Spoil spoil to take by force: to plunder
  • v.i Spoil to practise robbery
  • n Spoil prey, plunder: pillage: robbery
  • v.t Spoil spoil to corrupt: to mar: to make useless
  • v.i Spoil to decay: to become useless
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• Source Unknown

  

  “A lot of good arguments are spoiled by some fool who knows what he is talking about.”
• William Shakespeare

  

  “Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me.”
• E. Wigglesworh

  

  “Sarcasm spoils reproof.”
• George Santayana

  

  “Fun is a good thing but only when it spoils nothing better.”
• Mark Twain

  

  “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”
• Epicurus

  

  “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

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