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; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

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

   • 2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

     Mr Big threw a bundle each to his two trusty henchmen, Fingers and Thumbs. “There’s your share,” said the boss. The two men looked happy enough with their spoils.

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

   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

Derived terms

• racial spoils
• spoils of war
• to the victor go the spoils

 

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 of spoil

   Milk spoils when left out too long.