SPOIL
Spoil (, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spoiled or Spoilt; p. pr. & vb. n.
Spoiling.] Etym: [F. spolier, OF. espoilelier, fr. L. spoliare, fr.
spolium spoil. Cf. Despoil, Spoliation.]
1. 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 possession. "Ye shall spoil the Egyptians." Ex. iii. 22. My sons their old, unhappy sire despise, Spoiled of his kingdom, and deprived of eues. Pope.
2. 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. Mark iii. 27.
3. To cause to decay and perish; to corrput; to vitiate; to mar. Spiritual pride spils many graces. Jer. Taylor.
4. 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
Spoil, v. i.
1. To practice plunder or robbery. Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil. Spenser.
2. To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay; as, fruit will soon spoil in warm weather.
SPOIL
Spoil, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. espoille, L. spolium.]
1. 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. Milton.