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spoil

/spɔɪl/

noun

Meaning

  • (Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.

  • Material (such as rock or earth) removed in the course of an excavation, or in mining or dredging. Tailings.

Synonyms

gangue,
slag,
tailings

verb

Meaning

  • To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour.

  • To strip or deprive (someone) of their possessions; to rob, despoil.

  • To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.).

  • To carry off (goods) by force; to steal.

  • To ruin; to damage (something) in some way making it unfit for use.

  • To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess.

  • Of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay.

    "Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge, otherwise it will spoil."

  • To render (a ballot paper) invalid by deliberately defacing it.

  • To reveal the ending or major events of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time.

Synonyms

coddle,
indulge,
mollycoddle,
pamper,
damage,
destroy,
ruin