Spoilage
/ˈspɔɪ.lɪdʒ/noun
The process of becoming spoiled or rotten, especially food.
Did you know?In Old French, 'espoiler' meant to rob or plunder, linking spoilage not just to decay, but to loss and destruction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spey-
“to split, to divide, to plunder.”
Latin
Latin
spolia
“spoils or goods taken from a defeated enemy.”
Old French
Old French
espoiler
“to rob or to strip.”
Middle English
Middle English
spoilagie
“the act of spoiling or ruining.”
Modern English
English
spoilage
“the state of being spoiled, especially food decay.”
Explore more surprising origins