▪ I. spoiling, vbl. n.1
(ˈspɔɪlɪŋ)
[f. spoil v.1]
1. a. The action of pillaging, plundering, or robbing; spoliation.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 425 Þey ben not in þis þer vikeris, but in bodily trauel & spuyling of men. 1395 Purvey Remonstr. (1851) 155 The spoilinge of the rewme bi beringe out of the tresore to straungeris. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 7 Feiþful curats owen to sorowe..of þe spoling of þer sogetis. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 470 Spoylynge, or spolyynge, spoliacio, depredacio. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 20 The Esterlinges..had done y⊇ last yeres past much preiudice & domage to the Englishe marchantes, both in takyng and spoyling of shippes. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. x. 7 A saluage nation..That..By hunting and by spoiling liued then. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus iii. 2 Yet this sinne is a greater breach of loue then theft, or spoyling of the goods. 1647 Sprigge Anglia Rediv. ii. iv. (1854) 109 If..you shall surrender it, and save the loss of blood, or hazard the spoiling of such a city. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 15/2 After the plunder and spoiling of the Temple. 1829 Scott Anne of G. xxxii, So I got into Charles's own pavilion, where Rudolph and some of his people were trying to keep out every one, that he might have the spoiling of it himself. 1869 Boutell Arms & Armour vi. 89 The results..of the spoiling of some dead Roman soldier. |
b. An instance or occasion of this.
| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 348 Bi þis spuylyng þei bilden Caymes castelis, to harme of cuntreis. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 76 Wat aȝen batails, aȝen reseruacouns, aȝen furst frutis, & oþer spolingis of goodis of þe kirk. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vi. clx. (1811) 151 He in wrath..entryd the countrey of Burgoyne,..and executyd therin many spolynges and other inordynate dedys. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 405 Spoylynges & robbinges of townes. 1601 J. Wheeler Treat. Comm. 87 Manifold robberies, & spoilings at sea. 1692 Washington tr. Milton's Def. People Eng. ii. M.'s Wks. 1851 VIII. 67 The Wars that he rais'd, the Spoilings and Plunderings and Conflagrations that he occasioned. 1819 Scott Ivanhoe xxxiii, Easing a world of such mis-proud priests as thou art of their jewels..is a lawful spoiling of the Egyptians. 1886 Mrs. E. Lynn Linton Paston Carew xix, It would be a spoiling of the Egyptians perfectly justifiable. |
2. The action of destroying, injuring, marring, etc.; an instance or occasion of this.
| 1479 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 321 So..Edmond complayned of spoyllyng of hys gowne and lackyng of his cloth. 1564–78 W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 17 Euen so in tragedie he bewailed the sodaine resurrection of many a noble man before their time, in spoylyng of Epitaphes. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 105 Make riddance of carriage, er yeere go about, for spoiling of plant that is newlie come out. 1632 Sanderson Serm. 14 Euil manners haue bin the spoyling of many good words. 1695 Congreve Love for L. ii. x, They're all so, Sister, these Men—they love to have the spoiling of a Young Thing. 1712 Swift Let. Eng. Tongue Wks. 1755 II. ii. 188 There is another sett of men, who have contributed very much to the spoiling of the English tongue. 1836 E. Howard R. Reefer lx, D―n his smooth face!—I should like to have the spoiling of it. 1875 J. C. Cox Ch. Derbysh. I. 374 At that time..the spoiling of church bells was considered a necessary adjunct to a reformation in religion. |
3. Rugby Football. The act or process of disrupting the opposing side's play; usu. attrib. Also transf.
| 1937 C. W. Jones Rugby Football i. 1 Experiments are being made with a new rule affecting the spoiling around the scrummages. 1959 Times 19 Oct. 14/2 Some dazzling moves started by breaks by Mulligan, who throughout found Jeeps in fine spoiling form. 1967 J. Potter Foul Play ix. 111 A finer display of spoiling tactics and spectacular bouleversements had probably never disgraced a hockey field. 1978 Rugby World Apr. 43/3 It was a very interesting game, but I thought the criticism by the Barbarians of spoiling tactics after the game was unjustified. |
▪ II. † ˈspoiling, vbl. n.2 Naut.
[Of obscure origin.]
= spiling vbl. n.2
| 1794 Rigging & Seamanship 5 Let that distance, or spoiling, be set off from the surface. Ibid. 10 Spoiling is taking the greatest distance of the inequalities between any two pieces to be fayed together. |
▪ III. ˈspoiling, ppl. a.
[f. spoil v.1]
Despoiling, ravaging; doing damage.
| 1565 R. Shacklock Hatchet of Heresyes 87 b, A spoyling tyrant. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 741 It had beene a shameful misery to indure the tyranny of such spoiling beastes. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 199 The Danes in their spoyling rage burnt it to the ground. 1611 Cotgr., Spoliatrice, a spoyling, or despoyling woman. |