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spoil for

 - 2 dictionary results
spoil   (spoil)   
v.   spoiled or spoilt (spoilt), spoil·ing, spoils

v.   tr.
    1. To impair the value or quality of.

    2. To damage irreparably; ruin.

    3. To plunder; despoil.

    4. To take by force.

  1. To impair the completeness, perfection, or unity of; flaw grievously: spoiled the party.

  2. To do harm to the character, nature, or attitude of by oversolicitude, overindulgence, or excessive praise. See Synonyms at pamper.

  3. Archaic

    1. To plunder; despoil.

    2. To take by force.

v.   intr.
  1. To become unfit for use or consumption, as from decay. Used especially of perishables, such as food. See Synonyms at decay.

  2. To pillage.

n.  
  1. spoils

    1. Goods or property seized from a victim after a conflict, especially after a military victory.

    2. Incidental benefits reaped by a winner, especially political patronage enjoyed by a successful party or candidate.

  2. An object of plunder; prey.

  3. Refuse material removed from an excavation.

  4. Archaic The act of plundering; spoliation.

Phrasal Verb(s):
spoil forTo be eager for: spoiling for a fight.

[Middle English spoilen, to plunder, from Old French espoillier, from Latin spoliāre, from spolium, booty.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms & Phrases

spoil for

Be eager for, as in He's just spoiling for a fight. This idiom nearly always refers to some kind of altercation. It may allude to spoil in the sense of "deteriorate over a period of time." [Mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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