Spoiler
/ˈspɔɪ.lɚ/noun
A person or thing that reveals a story’s ending or reduces surprise.
Did you know?The English verb "spoil" ultimately traces back to Latin "spoliare," meaning "to strip" or "despoil," which is why a spoiler can feel like it literally robs a story of its power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spel-
“to strip, peel, or split off”
Latin
Latin
spolium
“armor or spoils stripped from an enemy”
Latin
Latin
spoliare
“to strip, rob, despoil”
Old French
Old French
espoillier
“to plunder, strip”
Middle English
English
spoylen
“to plunder, despoil, ruin”
19th Century
English
spoiler
“one who spoils or ruins something”
Modern English
English
spoiler
“a person or thing that reveals a plot twist or ending”
Explore more surprising origins