spoiler

4 definitions found

spoiler - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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]

spoiler - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  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, spoiler, despoiler,
         raider, freebooter]
      3: someone who pampers or spoils by excessive indulgence [syn:
         pamperer, spoiler, 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

spoiler - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  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)
  

spoiler - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  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.