spoils

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spɔɪlz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪlz

Noun

spoils pl (plural only)

1. That which is taken from another by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     Gentle gales, / Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense / Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole / Those balmy spoils.

2. Waste material left over in the course of excavation, construction, mining, or dredging operations.

   e.g., dredging spoils

3. Public offices and their benefits regarded as the peculiar property of a successful party or faction, to be bestowed for its own advantage.

   To the victor belong the spoils.

Synonyms

• (that which is taken from another by violence): See Thesaurus:booty

Translations

that which is taken from another by violence

• Dutch: plundering (nl), roofbuit
• French: pillage (fr) m, sac (fr) m
• German: Beute (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: σκῦλα n pl (skûla), λάφυρα n pl (láphura)

• Latin: praeda f, exuviae f pl
• Maori: parakete, muremurenga
• Russian: добы́ча (ru) f (dobýča)
• Sanskrit: गोग्रह (sa) m (gograha)

public offices and their benefits regarded as the peculiar property of a successful party or faction.

• Dutch: het uitdelen van ambten aan partijgenoten, vriendjespolitiek (nl)
• French: distribution de postes à des membres du parti, favoritisme (fr) m

See also

• manubial

Verb

spoils

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of spoil

   Milk spoils when left out too long.