n.
Pronunciation: ' spo ̇ i(- 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 >.