To dreamers in the West, Tibet is a Shangri-La despoiled by Chinese ruthlessness and rapacity.
The Earl of March, following the plain path which his father had trodden out, despoiled Henry the father, and Edward the son, both of their lives and kingdom.
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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 , 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… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
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
