Etymology tree
Latin spolium
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
Proto-Italic *-ājō
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin spoliāre
Old French espoillierbor.
Middle English spoilen
English spoil
From Middle English spoilen, spuylen, borrowed from Old French espoillier, espollier, espuler, from Latin spoliō, spoliāre (“pillage, ruin, spoil”).
Meanings
(qualifier:Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
Thoſe thouſand horſe shall ſweat with martiall ſpoyle
Of conquered kingdomes, and of Cities ſackt, […] c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
(archaic) The act of taking plunder from an enemy or victim; spoliation, pillage, rapine.
This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men,
That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile,
Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:
(uncountable) Material (such as rock or earth) removed in the course of an excavation, or in mining or dredging. Tailings. Such material could be utilised somewhere else.
In view of the decline in freight traffic, it was strange to hear from Mr. Lambert that there is "a continuing problem of supplying, particularly for the civil engineer, the number of wagons required for carrying construction materials and spoil for various works." 1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 721:
gangue (material moved) · booty (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · tailings (material moved) · slag (material moved)
Translations (54)
grc ἕλωρ (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · el λάφυρο (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · de Schotter (material moved) · he שָׁלָל (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · es despojo (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fi ryöstösaalis (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · el λεία (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · es botín (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fi sotasaalis (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · cs lup (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ja 略奪品 (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · mi parakete (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · es expolio (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · es despojo (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ro steril (material moved) · el μπάζα (material moved) · fi ruoppausmassa (material moved) · ota تاراج (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · pt pilhagem (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fi jätemassa (material moved) · grc λάφυρα (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ga slad (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ja 廃棄物 (material moved) · ka ნადავლი (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fr dépouilles (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fr butin (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · it bottino (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ro pradă (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · pt espólio (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ota پلاچقه (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · de Beute (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · pt saque (material moved) · bg плячка (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · grc σκῦλα (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · tr yağma (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · nl buit (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · bg трофе́й (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ja 利権 (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ota غنیمت (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · pt saque (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · hu zsákmány (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ota چاپول (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fi jätemaa (material moved) · de Aushub (material moved) · sv byte (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · th ของโจร (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · cs kořist (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ga aicseam (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fi saalis (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · fi louhe (material moved) · de Abraum (material moved) · cy rwbel (material moved) · pt butim (plunder taken from an enemy or victim) · ru трофе́й (plunder taken from an enemy or victim)
Etymology tree
Latin spolium
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
Proto-Italic *-ājō
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin spoliāre
Old French espoillierbor.
Middle English spoilen
English spoil
From Middle English spoilen, spuylen, borrowed from Old French espoillier, espollier, espuler, from Latin spoliō, spoliāre (“pillage, ruin, spoil”).
Meanings
(archaic, transitive) To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of arms or armour.
(archaic, transitive) To strip or deprive (someone) of possessions; to rob, despoil.
To do her dye (quoth Vna) were despight, / And shame t'auenge so weake an enimy; / But spoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Roger, that rich Bishop of Salisbury,[…]spoiled of his goods by King Stephen, […]through grief ran mad, spoke and did he knew not what. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 4, subsection vii:
All that herde hym wer amased and sayde: ys nott this he that spoylled them whych called on this name in Jerusalem? 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts ix:[21]:
(ambitransitive, archaic) To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.).
Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil. 1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:
(obsolete, transitive) To carry off (goods) by force; to steal.
There is hardly a trace of metal left in the Palace at Knossos. In one corner only, on the north-west, a friendly floor level seems to have sunk just before the plunderers entered it, and hidden from their view five splendid bronze vessels. They are all that remain to us […] to tell us what the gold and silver work was like that was spoiled from Knossos. 1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 18:
[…] it was her own knife; little sister Mary had left it to her upon her deathbed, and she ought to have had it to keep herself long ago. But mama kept it from her, and was always letting Betsey get hold of it; and the end of it would be that Betsey would spoil it, and get it for her own, though mama had promised her that Betsey should not have it in her own hands. 1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter XXXVIII, in Mansfield Park: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
They must likewise endeavour to be careful in looking after the rest of the Servants, that every one perform their duty in their several places, that they keep good hours in their up-rising and lying down, and that no Goods be either spoiled or embezelled. 1677, Hannah Woolley, The Compleat Servant-Maid, London: T. Passinger, page 35:
No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 3:27:
(transitive) To ruin; to damage in such a way as to make undesirable or unusable.
‘This is a great day for us. Let us not spoil it by saying the wrong thing, by promoting a culture of revenge, or by failing to treat the former president with respect.’ 2011 August 5, “What the Arab papers say”, in The Economist:
All this sun spoils me for vacations in the far North.
"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. […]" 1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC:
Spiritual pride […] spoils so many graces. 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:
(transitive) To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess.
(intransitive, of food or drink) To go bad; to become sour or rancid; to decay.
Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge; otherwise it will spoil.
(transitive) To render (a ballot) invalid by deliberately defacing.
Dr Jonathan Grant (Letters, April 22) feels the best way to show his disaffection with political parties over Iraq is to spoil his ballot paper. 2003, David Nicoll, The Guardian, letter:
(transitive) To prematurely reveal major events or the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing ahead of time as a spoiler.
These include a brief but showstopping (and trailer-revealed) scene where Vanellope crashes a Disney Princess reunion, packed with gags and references that should send both young and old fans into paroxysms of glee. The princess confab also leads into a scene featuring Vanellope and the cast of Slaughter Race that probably shouldn’t be spoiled. 2018 November 14, Jesse Hassenger, “Disney Goes Viral with an Ambitious, Overstuffed Wreck-It Ralph Sequel”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 21 Nov 2019:
To reduce the lift generated by an airplane or wing by deflecting air upwards, usually with a spoiler.
(intransitive) To be very eager (for something).
Senator Toombs who announced his readiness to whip Great Britain [...] has been spoiling for a fight ever since 1858, The Daily Exchange, Baltimore, Md., page 2:
el κακομαθαίνω (to coddle or pamper) · de ruinieren (to ruin) · hu elront (to ruin) · hu lelövi a poént (to reveal the ending of) · ga loit (to ruin) · el μαρτυρώ (to reveal the ending of) · es echar a perder (to ruin) · eo malkaŝi (to reveal the ending of) · gl badar (to coddle or pamper) · ca fer malbé (to ruin) · fr gâter (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es chiquear (to coddle or pamper) · sk skaziť sa (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es destripar (to reveal the ending of) · gl palrar (to reveal the ending of) · es hacer espóiler (to reveal the ending of) · cmn 溺愛 /溺爱 (to coddle or pamper) · pt arruinar (to ruin) · izh pilahua (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · scn sbinnari (to ruin) · cmn 劇透 /剧透 (to reveal the ending of) · th ปล้น (to strip) · es expoliar (to strip) · es regalonear (to coddle or pamper) · gl cortar (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ro răsfăța (to coddle or pamper) · ca fer-se malbé (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · it andare a male (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · nl bederven (to coddle or pamper) · el καλομαθαίνω (to coddle or pamper) · fi pilaantua (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ga mill (to ruin) · el χαλάω (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ar أَفْسَدَ (to ruin) · tl konsentihin (to coddle or pamper) · cmn 損壞 /损坏 (to ruin) · scn peddiri (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ru испо́ртиться (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ga mill (to coddle or pamper) · ar زَنِخَ (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · hu kényeztet (to coddle or pamper) · el προδίδω (to reveal the ending of) · cs zkazit (to ruin) · izh pilahussa (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · mr खराब होणे (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · gl defecer (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ja ネタバレ (to reveal the ending of) · zza alıznen (to ruin) · th สปอยล์ (to reveal the ending of) · gl lengoretar (to reveal the ending of) · ru поврежда́ть (to ruin) · ro strica (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · hu tönkretesz (to ruin) · he פינק (to coddle or pamper) · ar دَلَّلَ (to coddle or pamper) · pl zepsuć (to ruin) · ru повреди́ть (to ruin) · sv fördärva (to ruin) · ga loit (to coddle or pamper) · el καταστρέφω (to ruin) · fr gâcher (to ruin) · cmn 損傷 /损伤 (to ruin) · th แย่งชิง (to strip) · fi spoilata (to reveal the ending of) · ca consentir (to coddle or pamper) · el μυρίζω (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · he הִתְקַלְקֵל (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ja 傷つける (to ruin) · hy փչացնել (to ruin) · frr ferdiirwe (to ruin) · gl estragarse (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ca espatllar (to ruin) · bg развалям се (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · de verderben (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · gl escoletrar (to ruin) · cs rozmazlit (to coddle or pamper) · ro ruina (to ruin) · th ชิง (to strip) · th ทำลาย (to ruin) · az korlamaq (to ruin) · th ทำให้เสียหาย (to ruin) · fr piller (to strip) · th เสีย (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · pt mimar (to coddle or pamper) · hy լկստել (to coddle or pamper) · cmn 爆雷 (to reveal the ending of) · tr mahvetmek (to ruin) · yi איבערנעמען (to coddle or pamper) · pt despojar (to strip) · bg обирам (to strip) · el ξινίζω (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · cs zhatit (to ruin) · tr bozulmak (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · da fordærve (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · he קִלְקֵל (to ruin) · gl engouxar (to coddle or pamper) · th แย่ง (to strip) · io domajar (to ruin) · ru ски́снуть (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · de spoilern (to reveal the ending of) · chr ᎠᏲᏍᏗᎭ (to ruin) · hu kirabol (to strip) · de verziehen (to coddle or pamper) · cy andwyo (to ruin) · de plündern (to strip) · tr bozmak (to ruin) · es acedarse (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · grc φθείρω (to ruin) · gl aprouguer (to coddle or pamper) · ro putrezi (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · de verwöhnen (to coddle or pamper) · hu tönkremegy (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ro dezvălui (to reveal the ending of) · nl verklappen (to reveal the ending of) · fy bedjerre (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es despojar (to strip) · el αλλοιώνομαι (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ro strica (to ruin) · id manja (to coddle or pamper) · ru избалова́ть (to coddle or pamper) · es popar (to coddle or pamper) · es consentir (to coddle or pamper) · ja だめにする (to ruin) · bg ограбвам (to strip) · fr gâter (to coddle or pamper) · ru балова́ть (to coddle or pamper) · ru проки́снуть (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es dar al traste (to ruin) · es malcriar (to coddle or pamper) · fi mädäntyä (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · uk псува́ти (to ruin) · mnc ᡠᠪᠠᠮᠪᡳ (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · nl verwennen (to coddle or pamper) · hy երես տալ (to coddle or pamper) · es estropear (to ruin) · ja こわす (to ruin) · el αλλοιώνω (to ruin) · ca mimar (to coddle or pamper) · pt estragar (to ruin) · sv fördärva (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · tr üzerine titremek (to coddle or pamper) · gl agrear (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ca espoliar (to strip) · gl destragar (to ruin) · fi hemmotella (to coddle or pamper) · tr şımartmak (to coddle or pamper) · es echarse a perder (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · de schlecht werden (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es agriarse (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · mi kōpeka (to ruin) · bg развалям (to ruin) · ja 台無しにする (to ruin) · cy difetha (to ruin) · mr बिघडवणे (to coddle or pamper) · ar فَسَدَ (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · sw dekeza (to coddle or pamper) · ta பாழ் (to ruin) · tr çürümek (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · fr tourner (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · de verderben (to ruin) · ro distruge (to ruin) · got 𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to ruin) · es mimar (to coddle or pamper) · ja 甘やかす (to coddle or pamper) · es achechar (to coddle or pamper) · it rovinare (to ruin) · chr ᎠᏲᎦ (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · tg лухсидан (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · fi mädätä (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es avinagrarse (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · hu rongál (to ruin) · no forderve (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · sv skämma bort (to coddle or pamper) · fr gâter (to ruin) · hu elkényeztet (to coddle or pamper) · ja 傷める (to ruin) · es espoilear (to reveal the ending of) · hu megsavanyodik (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · id memanjakan (to coddle or pamper) · el κόβω (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · bg разглезвам (to coddle or pamper) · gl ameiroar (to coddle or pamper) · ru по́ртить (to ruin) · th เน่าเสีย (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · et rikkuma (to ruin) · mi whakapirau (to ruin) · de den Spaß verderben (to reveal the ending of) · hy լկստացնել (to coddle or pamper) · de kaputtmachen (to ruin) · ru испо́ртить (to ruin) · fi lelliä (to coddle or pamper) · hu megromlik (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · fi hapantua (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ht gate (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · fi pilata (to coddle or pamper) · th บูด (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ar نَتِنَ (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · yi פּיעשטשען (to coddle or pamper) · fr révéler (to reveal the ending of) · hu elmondja/elárulja a végét (to reveal the ending of) · it viziare (to coddle or pamper) · es descomponerse (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ar غَنَّجَ (to coddle or pamper) · gl escralacar (to ruin) · nl verbrodden (to ruin) · ru изба́ловать (to coddle or pamper) · pt estragar (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es dañar (to reveal the ending of) · th ตามใจ (to coddle or pamper) · fr dévoiler (to reveal the ending of) · nl bederven (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · nl verprutsen (to ruin) · pl psuć (to ruin) · el χαλάω (to coddle or pamper) · fi pilata (to ruin) · ne उमाल्नु (to coddle or pamper) · gl estragar (to ruin) · yi באַלעווען (to coddle or pamper) · scn passari (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · cs zkazit se (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · izh raisata (to coddle or pamper) · zza hermiyen (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · es contumeriar (to coddle or pamper) · gl descochar (to reveal the ending of) · hu kifoszt (to strip) · fr spoiler (to reveal the ending of) · eo riveli (to reveal the ending of) · hu spoilerez (ik) (to reveal the ending of) · vi nuông chiều (to coddle or pamper) · es malacostumbrar (to coddle or pamper) · th เน่า (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ja 腐る (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · hu elprédál (to strip) · ko 망치다 (to ruin) · gl aprouver (to coddle or pamper) · gl esbullar (to strip) · mi whakapirau (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ro râncezi (to become sour or rancid, to decay) · ru ба́ловать (to coddle or pamper) · el αμαυρώνω (to ruin)