Main Entry: ¹spoil

Pronunciation: \ˈspȯi(-ə)l\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English spoile, from Anglo-French espuille, from espuiller

Date: 14th century

1 a : plunder taken from an enemy in war or from a victim in robbery : loot b : public offices made the property of a successful party —usually used in plural c : something valuable or desirable gained through special effort or opportunism or in return for a favor —usually used in plural
2 a : spoliation, plundering b : the act of damaging : harm, impairment
3 : an object of plundering : prey
4 : earth and rock excavated or dredged
5 : an object damaged or flawed in the making

synonyms 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 <the spoils of political victory>. plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling <a bootlegger's plunder>. booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates <thieves dividing up their booty>. prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy <the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea>. loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe <picked through the ruins for loot>.