Spoiler

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Spoiler \Spoil"er\ (spoil"[~e]r), n.
     1. One who spoils; a plunderer; a pillager; a robber; a
        despoiler.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. One who corrupts, mars, or renders useless.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Aeronautics) A device attached to the wing of an airplane
        or other airfoil, which breaks the smooth flow of air
        during flight and decreases the lift of the airfoil; --
        used to control the attitude of the airplane during
        banking or descent.
        [PJC]
  
     4. A device attached to a car to decrease lift and increase
        traction, usually shaped as a flat surface and attached
        above the rear of the car, and working on the same
        principal as the aircraft spoiler[3].
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spoiler
       n 1: a candidate with no chance of winning but who may draw
            enough votes to prevent one of the leading candidates
            from winning
       2: someone who takes spoils or plunder (as in war) [syn: {plunderer},
           {pillager}, {looter}, {despoiler}, {raider}, {freebooter}]
       3: someone who pampers or spoils by excessive indulgence [syn:
          {pamperer}, {coddler}, {mollycoddler}]
       4: an airfoil mounted on the rear of a car to reduce lift at
          high speeds
       5: a hinged airfoil on the upper surface of an aircraft wing
          that is raised to reduce lift and increase drag

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  spoiler n. [Usenet] 1. A remark which reveals important plot elements
     from books or movies, thus denying the reader (of the article) the
     proper suspense when reading the book or watching the movie. 2. Any
     remark which telegraphs the solution of a problem or puzzle, thus
     denying the reader the pleasure of working out the correct answer (see
     also {interesting}). Either sense readily forms compounds like `total
     spoiler', `quasi-spoiler' and even `pseudo-spoiler'.
  
     By convention, articles which are spoilers in either sense should
     contain the word `spoiler' in the Subject: line, or guarantee via
     various tricks that the answer appears only after several screens-full
     of warning, or conceal the sensitive information via {rot13}, {spoiler
     space} or some combination of these techniques.
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  spoiler
       
          1. A remark which reveals important plot elements
          from books or movies, thus denying the reader (of the article)
          the proper suspense when reading the book or watching the
          movie.
       
          2. Any remark which telegraphs the solution of a problem or
          puzzle, thus denying the reader the pleasure of working out
          the correct answer (see also {interesting}).  Either sense
          readily forms compounds like "total spoiler", "quasi-spoiler"
          and even "pseudo-spoiler".
       
          By convention, {Usenet} news articles which are spoilers in
          either sense should contain the word "spoiler" in the Subject:
          line, or guarantee via various tricks that the answer appears
          only after several screens-full of warning, or conceal the
          sensitive information via {rot13}, or some combination of
          these techniques.
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
          (1995-01-18)