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Spoil vs Boil - What's the difference?

spoil | boil |

In transitive terms the difference between spoil and boil

is that spoil is to reveal the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time while boil is to heat (a liquid) to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.

In intransitive terms the difference between spoil and boil

is that spoil is of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay while boil is of a liquid, to begin to turn into a gas, seethe.

As verbs the difference between spoil and boil

is that spoil is to strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour while boil is to heat (a liquid) to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.

As nouns the difference between spoil and boil

is that spoil is (Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim while boil is a localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.

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

    *

    boil

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) bile, .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A localized accumulation of pus in the skin, resulting from infection.
  • Synonyms
    * abscess * carbuncle * cyst * furuncle * pimple * pustule

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) "to well up, boil"). More at seethe, well.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The point at which fluid begins to change to a vapour.
  • Add the noodles when the water comes to the boil .
  • A dish of boiled food, especially based on seafood.
  • (rare, nonstandard) The collective noun for a group of hawks.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To heat (a liquid) to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.
  • Boil some water in a pan.
  • (intransitive) To cook in boiling water.
  • Boil the eggs for two minutes.
    Is the rice boiling yet?
  • Of a liquid, to begin to turn into a gas, seethe.
  • Pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
  • (intransitive, informal, used only in progressive tenses) Said of weather being uncomfortably hot.
  • It’s boiling outside!
  • (intransitive, informal, used only in progressive tenses) To feel uncomfortably hot. See also seethe.
  • I’m boiling in here – could you open the window?
  • To form, or separate, by boiling or evaporation.
  • to boil sugar or salt
  • (obsolete) To steep or soak in warm water.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • To try whether seeds be old or new, the sense cannot inform; but if you boil them in water, the new seeds will sprout sooner.
  • To be agitated like boiling water; to bubble; to effervesce.
  • the boiling waves of the sea
  • * Bible, Job xii. 31
  • He maketh the deep to boil like a pot.
  • To be moved or excited with passion; to be hot or fervid.
  • His blood boils with anger.
  • * Surrey
  • Then boiled my breast with flame and burning wrath.
    Synonyms
    * (of a liquid) seethe, well, plaw ; see also * (of the weather) be baking]], be scorching, [[swelter, be sweltering * (of a person) be seething]], be baking, [[stew, be stewing
    Antonyms
    * (of a liquid) condense * (of the weather) be freezing * (of a person) be freezing
    Derived terms
    * boil away * boil down * boil down to * boil off * boil over * go off the boil * hard-boiled * make someone's blood boil * parboil * pot boiler * slow boil * soft-boiled
    See also
    * bake * condense * freeze * fry * grill * poach * steam