spoiler

Meanings

Plural: spoilers

Noun

• a candidate with no chance of winning but who may draw enough votes to prevent one of the leading candidates from winning
• someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war)
• someone who pampers or spoils by excessive indulgence
• an airfoil mounted on the rear of a car to reduce lift at high speeds
• a hinged airfoil on the upper surface of an aircraft wing that is raised to reduce lift and increase drag
• One who spoils; a plunderer; a pillager; a robber; a despoiler.
• One who corrupts, mars, or renders useless.
• A document, review or comment that discloses the ending or some key surprise or twist in a story, or the internal rules controlling the behaviour of a video game, etc.
• A device to reduce lift and increase drag.
• A device to reduce lift and increase downforce.
• A competitor, unable to win himself, who spoils the chances of another’s victory.

Verb

• To mark (a document or message) with a spoiler warning, to prevent readers from accidentally learning details they would prefer not to know.
• To tell (a person) details of how a story ends etc.

Synonyms

coddler, despoiler, freebooter, looter, mollycoddler, pamperer, pillager, plunderer, raider