spoil, plunder, booty, prize, loot mean something taken from another by force or craft. spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

SPOIL definition: to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.: Drought spoiled the corn crop. See examples of spoil used in a sentence.

SPOIL definition: 1. to destroy or reduce the pleasure, interest, or beauty of something: 2. When food spoils or is…. Learn more.

corrupt - Comes from Latin corrumpere, "destroy completely," and first meant "to destroy or spoil the flesh, fruit, or organic matter by dissolution or decomposition."

Nov 18, 2025 · spoil (plural spoils) (Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim. quotations

to (cause to) become bad or unfit for use, such as food that does not last long unless treated with cold: [no object] Too much moisture and heat will cause the food to spoil. [~ + object] to spoil the food.

When you spoil something, you destroy it or ruin its quality. If you spoil a surprise, you tell the secret you were supposed to keep.

Definition of spoil verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If you spoil something, you prevent it from being successful or satisfactory. It's important not to let mistakes spoil your life.

In memoriam--our civil service as it was, an 1877 political cartoon by Thomas Nast showing a statue of Andrew Jackson on a pig standing over "fraud", "bribery", and "spoils" and eating "plunder". In …