despoil
English
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
despoil¹
- /dɪˈspɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
From Middle English despoylen, dispoylen, from Old French despoillier ( > French dépouiller), from Latin dēspoliō, dēspoliāre.
verb despoils · despoiling · despoiled
- To plunder; to pillage; take spoil from. [T]here vvas brought unto him an horſe named Babylonius, vvhich happening to be ſore vexed vvith a ſuddaine gripe or vvring in his belly, fell dovvne, and vvhiles hee vvas not able to endure the paine, vvallovveth along, and happeneth to beſprent his capariſon and ornaments richly garniſhed vvith go
- To violently strip (someone), with indirect object of their possessions etc.; to rob. 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.
- To strip (someone) of their clothes; to undress. So syr Persants doughter dyd as her fader bad her / and soo she wente vnto syr Beaumayns bed / & pryuely she dispoylled her / & leid her doune by hym / & thenne he awoke & sawe her & asked her what she was
despoil²
- /dɪˈspɔɪl/
Rhymes with -ɔɪl
Where it comes from
From Middle English despoylle, dispoyll, from Old French despoille, despueille, deverbal from despoillier.
noun despoils
- Plunder; spoliation. ’Tis done;—despoil and desolation / O’er Rylstone’s fair domain have blown; […]
Translations
Talk about this word "despoil." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/despoil. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. despoil. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/despoil "despoil." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/despoil.Cite this
@misc{despoil_2026,
title = {despoil},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/despoil},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
