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Dictionary vs Spoil - What's the difference?

dictionary | spoil |

As nouns the difference between dictionary and spoil

is that dictionary is a reference work with a list of words from one or more languages, normally ordered alphabetically and explaining each word's meaning and sometimes containing information on its etymology, usage, translations and other data while spoil is (also in plural: spoils ) plunder taken from an enemy or victim.

As verbs the difference between dictionary and spoil

is that dictionary is (label) to look up in a dictionary while spoil is (archaic) to strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour.

dictionary

English

Noun

(dictionaries)
  • A reference work with a list of words from one or more languages, normally ordered alphabetically and explaining each word's meaning and sometimes containing information on its etymology, usage, translations and other data.
  • *
  • But what other kind(s) of syntactic information should be included in Lexical Entries? Traditional dictionaries' such as Hornby's (1974) ''Oxford Advanced Learner's '''Dictionary of Current English'' include not only ''categorial'' information in their entries, but also information about the range of ''Complements which a given item permits (this information is represented by the use of a number/letter code).
  • By extension, any work that has a list of material organized alphabetically; e.g. biographical dictionary, encyclopedic dictionary.
  • (label) An associative array, a data structure where each value is referenced by a particular key, analogous to words and definitions in a physical dictionary.
  • * 2011 , Jon Galloway, ?Phil Haack, ?Brad Wilson, Professional ASP.NET MVC 3
  • User calls RouteCollection.GetVirtualPath, passing in a RequestContext, a dictionary of values, and an optional route name used to select the correct route to generate the URL.
    * (Citations dictionary)

    Synonyms

    * wordbook

    Derived terms

    * encyclopedic dictionary * explanatory dictionary * fictionary * pedagogical dictionary * Pictionary * pronunciation dictionary * subdictionary * translating dictionary * translationary

    See also

    * lexicon * encyclopedia * vocabulary

    Anagrams

    *

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • (label) To look up in a dictionary.
  • (label) To add to a dictionary.
  • * 1866 , William Henry Ward, The international day, night, and fog signal telegraph (page 12)
  • By a reference to the following dictionaried abbreviations, the simplicity and harmony of each sentence will be manifestly apparent; although it does not embrace everything, and could not, as it would be far too voluminous for general use.
  • * 2001 , The Michigan Alumnus (page 25)
  • Should I use a word that a lot of people use but isn't in the dictionary? Uncle Phil would rather get a root canal than say he was scrapbooking, because the word isn't dictionaried .
  • To compile a dictionary.
  • * 1864 , Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine (volume 96, page 334)
  • They [dictionary-makers] may have had their romance at home — may have been crossed in love, and thence driven to dictionarying ; may have been involved in domestic tragedies — who can say?
  • (label) To appear in a dictionary.
  • spoil

    English

    Verb

  • (archaic) To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour.
  • (archaic) To strip or deprive (someone) of their possessions; to rob, despoil.
  • * 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. (Bible) , (w) IX:
  • All that herde hym wer amased and sayde: ys nott this he that spoylled them whych called on this name in Jerusalem?
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , VII:
  • To do her dye (quoth Vna) were despight, / And shame t'auenge so weake an enimy; / But spoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly.
  • *, I.2.4.vii:
  • Roger, that rich Bishop of Salisbury,through grief ran mad, spoke and did he knew not what.
  • (ambitransitive, archaic) To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.).
  • * (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil .
  • (obsolete) To carry off (goods) by force; to steal.
  • * (Bible), (w) iii. 27
  • No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man.
  • To ruin; to damage (something) in some way making it unfit for use.
  • * (Jeremy Taylor) (1613–1677)
  • Spiritual pride spoils many graces.
  • *
  • "I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. […]"
  • * 2011 , ‘What the Arab papers say’, The Economist , 5 Aug 2011:
  • ‘This is a great day for us. Let us not spoil it by saying the wrong thing, by promoting a culture of revenge, or by failing to treat the former president with respect.’
  • To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess.
  • Of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay.
  • Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge, otherwise it will spoil .
  • To render (a ballot paper) invalid by deliberately defacing it.
  • * 2003 , David Nicoll, The Guardian , letter:
  • Dr Jonathan Grant (Letters, April 22) feels the best way to show his disaffection with political parties over Iraq is to spoil his ballot paper.
  • To reveal the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time.
  • Synonyms

    * (ruin) damage, destroy, ruin * (coddle) coddle, indulge, mollycoddle

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Also in plural: spoils ) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
  • (uncountable) Material (such as rock or earth) removed in the course of an excavation, or in mining or dredging]]. [[tailings, Tailings.
  • Derived terms

    * spoiler

    See also

    * spoilage * spoils of war * spoilsport * spoilt * too many cooks spoil the broth

    Anagrams

    *