<B>split-up, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>division; separation; breakup. <BR> <I>Ex. a family split-up.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an issuing of a number of new shares of stock for each currently held; split. <BR> <I>Ex. a stock split-up.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the exchange of all the stocks of a parent corporation for the stocks of one or more newly formed or subsidiary corporations, resulting in the dissolution of the parent corporation. </DL>
<A NAME="splodge">
<B>splodge, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a thick, heavy, or clumsy splotch. </DL>
<A NAME="splodgy">
<B>splodgy, </B>adjective, <B>splodgier,</B> <B>splodgiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> full of splodges; showing coarse splotches of color. </DL>
<B>splotch, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a large, irregular spot; splash. <BR> <I>Ex. ... instead of wiping away the tomato splotch he ... put out a tasting finger (Frederic Morton).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to make a splotch or splotches on; splash. </DL>
<A NAME="splotchy">
<B>splotchy, </B>adjective, <B>splotchier,</B> <B>splotchiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> marked with splotches. </DL>
<A NAME="splurge">
<B>splurge, </B>verb, <B>splurged,</B> <B>splurging,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to spend lavishly; be extravagant. <BR> <I>Ex. to splurge on a new coat.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to show off. <DD><I>v.t. </I> tospend lavishly. <BR> <I>Ex. We ... splurged the threadbare housekeeping kitty far into the red (Punch).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the action of showing off; ostentatious display. <BR> <I>Ex. a splurge of wealth.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>an outburst. <BR> <I>Ex. a sudden splurge of energy.</I> noun <B>splurger.</B> adv. <B>splurgingly.</B> </DL>
<B>splutter, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to talk in a hasty, confused way; speak quickly and with spitting or sputtering sounds. People sometimes splutter when they are excited. <DD><B> 2. </B>to make spitting or popping noises; sputter. <BR> <I>Ex. The bacon was spluttering in the frying pan.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to utter in a spluttering manner; say with spluttering. <BR> <I>Ex. to splutter out an apology.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a spluttering. noun <B>splutterer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spluttery">
<B>spluttery, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that splutters; spluttering. </DL>
<A NAME="spockian">
<B>Spockian, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with Benjamin M. Spock (born 1903), an American physician noted for his books on child care. </DL>
<A NAME="spode">
<B>Spode</B> or <B>spode, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> fine china or porcelain, commonly in Oriental style, of the type perfected by Josiah Spode (1754-1827), one of the first great potters of Staffordshire, England. <BR> <I>Ex. to buy a set of Spode.</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> of such china or porcelain. <BR> <I>Ex. a Spode platter.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spodumene">
<B>spodumene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a mineral, a silicate of aluminum and lithium, usually occurring in flat prismatic crystals. It is hard, transparent to translucent, and varies in color from grayish-, yellowish-, or greenish-white to emerald-green and purple. Some varieties are used as gems. </DL>
<B>spoil, </B>verb, <B>spoiled</B> or <B>spoilt,</B> <B>spoiling,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to damage or injure (something) so as to make it unfit or useless; destroy. <BR> <I>Ex. Rain spoiled the picnic. He spoils a dozen pieces of paper before he writes a letter.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to injure the character or disposition of, especially by being too kind, generous, or lenient. <BR> <I>Ex. That child is being spoiled by too much attention.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Archaic.) <DD><B> a. </B>to strip (as a person, country, or house) of goods, possessions, or valuables by force; plunder; despoil; sack. <BR> <I>Ex. to spoil a poor widow of her savings.</I> (SYN) pillage. <DD><B> b. </B>to seize (goods) by force; carry off as plunder; rob; steal. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to be damaged or injured; become bad or unfit for use; deteriorate; decay. <BR> <I>Ex. The fruit spoiled because I kept it too long.</I> (SYN) rot. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Archaic.) to plunder; ravage; rob. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>Often, <B>spoils.</B> things taken by force; things won; booty; loot. <BR> <I>Ex. The soldiers carried the spoils back to their own land.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>objects of art, books, or the like, which have been acquired by special effort. <DD><B> 3. </B>an object of plundering; prey. <DD><B> 4. </B>the act or practice of plundering; spoliation. <DD><B> 5. </B>earth or refuse matter from excavating, mining, or dredging. <BR><I>expr. <B>be spoiling for,</B> </I>(Informal.) to be longing for (a fight or argument); desire. <BR> <I>Ex. spoiling for a fight.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>spoils,</B> </I>government offices and positions, together with their advantages, filled by the political party that has won an election. <BR> <I>Ex. The post ... is "spoils" of the humbler order but spoils equally divided between the parties (James Bryce).</I> adj. <B>spoilable.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spoilage">
<B>spoilage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of spoiling. <DD><B> 2. </B>the fact of being spoiled. <BR> <I>Ex. Lower grades of rubber will be purchased to replace material in the stockpile that has been damaged by spoilage (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>something spoiled. </DL>
<A NAME="spoilation">
<B>spoilation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of spoiling or damaging something. <BR> <I>Ex. the destruction and spoilation of a parkland property.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spoilbank">
<B>spoilbank, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a bank or mound of refuse earth, stone, or other waste material. <BR> <I>Ex. Owners of colliery spoilbanks are required to take all practicable steps to minimize the emission of smoke and fumes (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spoiler">
<B>spoiler, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that spoils. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who takes spoils. <DD><B> 3. </B>a movable flap on the upper surface of the wing of an airplane, to help in slowing down or in decreasing lift, as in descending or landing. <DD><B> 4. </B>an airflow deflector on an automobile that helps reduce the danger of spinouts by keeping the rear wheels on the track. <DD><B> 5. </B>(U.S.) a political candidate who cannot win but who takes away enough votes to spoil another candidate's chances of winning. </DL>
<A NAME="spoilerparty">
<B>spoiler party,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a third political party formed especially to split one of the two regular parties so as to spoil its chances of winning an election. </DL>
<A NAME="spoilfive">
<B>spoilfive, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a card game for from three to ten players having five cards each. The game is said to be "spoiled" if no player can take three tricks. </DL>
<A NAME="spoils">
<B>spoils, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>spoil.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spoilsman">
<B>spoilsman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who gets or tries to get a government office or job as a reward for his service to the successful political party. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person who supports the spoils system. </DL>
<A NAME="spoilsport">
<B>spoilsport, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who acts so as to spoil or hinder the enjoyment or plans of others. <BR> <I>Ex. It is unusual for a candidate to win first time around, and if one does, he arouses a certain amount of resentment as a spoilsport (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spoilssystem">
<B>spoils system,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) the system or practice in which public offices with their advantages are awarded to supporters of the winning political party for its own (rather than the public) interest. <BR> <I>Ex. Adams was a remarkable President in many ways (such as his iron refusal to adopt the spoils system) but he failed in his chief aims (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spoilt">
<B>spoilt, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> spoiled; a past tense and a past participle of <B>spoil.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spoke">
<B>spoke</B> (1), verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a past tense of <B>speak.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. She spoke about that yesterday.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Archaic.) spoken; a past participle of <B>speak.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spoke">
<B>spoke</B> (2), noun, verb, <B>spoked,</B> <B>spoking.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>one of the set of bars from the center of a wheel to the rim. The spokes support the rim. <DD><B> 2. </B>one of the set of handles projecting radially from the wheel by which the rudder of a ship or other vessel is controlled. <DD><B> 3. </B>any one of various sets of radially projecting pieces similar to either of these in appearance or function. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) In this system, large airlines set up centers, or hubs, to receive passengers from feeder routes, or spokes (Steven Greenhouse).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>a rung of a ladder. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Figurative.) a thing that prevents or hinders; hindrance; obstruction. <BR> <I>Ex. I did hope the policy would have put a spoke in our tour, but, unluckily, it gives me latitude to travel (Thomas Hood).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to furnish or provide with spokes. <BR><I>expr. <B>put a spoke in one's wheel,</B> </I>to stop or hinder one. <BR> <I>Ex. Capitalists ... were trying to put a spoke in the wheel of Socialism (Manchester Examiner).</I> adj. <B>spokelike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spoken">
<B>spoken, </B>verb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>verb </I> a past participle of <B>speak.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. They have spoken about having a picnic.</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>expressed with the mouth; uttered; oral. <BR> <I>Ex. the spoken word. A child understands a spoken direction better than a written one.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>made known by any utterance; expressed; told. <BR> <I>Ex. a spoken opinion.</I> </DL>
