Despoil

Despoil
Despoil De*spoil", v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Despoiled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Despoiling}.] [OF. despoiller, F. d['e]pouiller, L. despoliare, despoliatum; de- + spoliare to strip, rob, spolium spoil, booty. Cf. {Spoil}, {Despoliation}.] 1. To strip, as of clothing; to divest or unclothe. [Obs.] --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2. To deprive for spoil; to plunder; to rob; to pillage; to strip; to divest; -- usually followed by of. [1913 Webster]

The clothed earth is then bare, Despoiled is the summer fair. --Gower. [1913 Webster]

A law which restored to them an immense domain of which they had been despoiled. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

Despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss. --Milton.

Syn: To strip; deprive; rob; bereave; rifle. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • despoil — c.1300, from O.Fr. despoillier (12c., Mod.Fr. dépouiller) to strip, rob, deprive of, steal, borrow, from L. despoliare to rob, despoil, plunder, from de entirely (see DE (Cf. de )) + spoliare to strip of clothing, rob, from spolium armor, booty… …   Etymology dictionary

  • despoil — de*spoil , n. Spoil. [Obs.] Wolsey. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • despoil — I verb assail, attack, bereave, consume, denude, deplume, depredate, deprive, desolate, devastate, devour, dispossess, divest, forage, foray, impoverish, invade, lay waste, leave destitute, loot, make off with, maraud, overrun, pilfer, pillage,… …   Law dictionary

  • despoil — *ravage, devastate, waste, sack, pillage, spoliate Analogous words: plunder, *rob, rifle, loot: *strip, bare, denude …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • despoil — [v] ravage, destroy denude, depopulate, depredate, deprive, desecrate, desolate, devastate, devour, dispossess, divest, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, raid, rifle, rob, sack, spoil, spoliate, strip, vandalize, waste, wreak havoc, wreck; concept… …   New thesaurus

  • despoil — ► VERB literary ▪ steal valuable possessions from. DERIVATIVES despoiler noun despoliation noun. ORIGIN Latin despoliare rob, plunder …   English terms dictionary

  • despoil — [dē spoil′, dispoil′] vt. [ME despoilen < OFr despoiller < L despoliare < de , intens. + spoliare, to strip, rob: see SPOIL] to deprive of something of value by or as by force; rob; plunder SYN. RAVAGE despoiler n. despoilment n …   English World dictionary

  • despoil — v. (formal) (D; tr.) to despoil of * * * [dɪ spɔɪl] (formal) (D; tr.) to despoil of …   Combinatory dictionary

  • despoil — UK [dɪˈspɔɪl] / US verb [transitive] Word forms despoil : present tense I/you/we/they despoil he/she/it despoils present participle despoiling past tense despoiled past participle despoiled literary to take all the valuable or beautiful objects… …   English dictionary

  • despoil — [[t]dɪspɔ͟ɪl[/t]] despoils, despoiling, despoiled VERB To despoil a place means to make it less attractive, valuable, or important by taking things away from it or by destroying it. [FORMAL] [V n] People picking mushrooms are sometimes stopped by …   English dictionary

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