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1 VERB If someone splutters , they make short sounds and have difficulty speaking clearly, for example because they are embarrassed or angry. □ [V with quote] 'But it cannot be,' he spluttered. □ [V ] Molly leapt to her feet, spluttering and howling with rage.

2 VERB If something splutters , it makes a series of short, sharp sounds. □ [V ] Suddenly the engine coughed, spluttered and died.

spoil /spɔ I l/ (spoils , spoiling , spoiled , spoilt ) American English uses the form spoiled as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either spoiled or spoilt . 1 VERB If you spoil something, you prevent it from being successful or satisfactory. □ [V n] It's important not to let mistakes spoil your life. □ [be V -ed] Peaceful summer evenings can be spoilt by mosquitoes.

2 VERB If you spoil children, you give them everything they want or ask for. This is considered to have a bad effect on a child's character. □ [V n] Grandparents are often tempted to spoil their grandchildren whenever they come to visit. ●  spoilt, spoiled ADJ □  A spoilt child is rarely popular with other children. □  Oh, that child. He's so spoiled.

3 VERB If you spoil yourself or spoil another person, you give yourself or them something nice as a treat or do something special for them. □ [V pron-refl] Spoil yourself with a new perfume this summer. □ [V n] Perhaps I could employ someone to iron his shirts, but I wanted to spoil him. He was my man.

4 VERB If food spoils or if it is spoilt , it is no longer fit to be eaten. □ [V ] We all know that fats spoil by becoming rancid. □ [V n] Some organisms are responsible for spoiling food and cause food poisoning.

5 VERB If someone spoils their vote, they write something illegal on their voting paper, usually as a protest about the election, and their vote is not accepted. [BRIT ] □ [V n] They had broadcast calls for voters to spoil their ballot papers.

6 N‑PLURAL The spoils of something are things that people get as a result of winning a battle or of doing something successfully. □  True to military tradition, the victors are now treating themselves to the spoils of war.

7 PHRASE If you say that someone is spoilt for choice or spoiled for choice , you mean that they have a great many things of the same type to choose from. □  At lunchtime, MPs are spoilt for choice in 26 restaurants and bars.

▸  spoil for PHRASAL VERB [only cont] If you are spoiling for a fight, you are very eager for it to happen. □ [V P n] A mob armed with guns was at the border between the two republics, spoiling for a fight.

spoil|age /spɔ I l I dʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT When spoilage occurs, something, usually food, decays or is harmed, so that it is no longer fit to be used. [TECHNICAL ]

spoil|er /spɔ I lə ^r / (spoilers )

1 N‑COUNT If you describe someone or something as a spoiler , you mean that they try to spoil the performance of other people or things. □  I was a talentless spoiler. If I couldn't be good, why should they?

2 N‑COUNT A spoiler is an object which forms part of an aircraft's wings or part of the body of a car. It changes the flow of air around the vehicle, allowing an aircraft to change direction or making a car's forward movement more efficient.

spoil|sport /spɔ I lspɔː ^r t/ (spoilsports ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a spoilsport , you mean that they are behaving in a way that ruins other people's pleasure or enjoyment. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

spoilt /spɔ I lt/ Spoilt is a past participle and past tense of spoil .

spoke /spoʊ k/ (spokes )

1Spoke is the past tense of speak .

2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.