From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.
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2. To deprive for spoil; to plunder; to rob; to pillage; to
strip; to divest; -- usually followed by of.
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The clothed earth is then bare,
Despoiled is the summer fair. --Gower.
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A law which restored to them an immense domain of
which they had been despoiled. --Macaulay.
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Despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss.
--Milton.
Syn: To strip; deprive; rob; bereave; rifle.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
despoil \de*spoil"\, n.
Spoil. [Obs.] --Wolsey.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
despoil
v 1: steal goods; take as spoils; "During the earthquake people
looted the stores that were deserted by their owners" [syn:
{plunder}, {despoil}, {loot}, {reave}, {strip}, {rifle},
{ransack}, {pillage}, {foray}]
2: destroy and strip of its possession; "The soldiers raped the
beautiful country" [syn: {rape}, {spoil}, {despoil},
{violate}, {plunder}]
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