forspill

See also: förspill

English

Etymology

From Middle English forspillen, from Old English forspillan, forspildan (“to waste, lose, disperse, bring to nothing, destroy, ruin, kill”), from Proto-West Germanic *furispilþijan. Equivalent to for- ‎ spill. Cognate with Old High German farspildan, Dutch verspillen (“to waste”), Swedish förspilla (“to waste”).

Verb

forspill (third-person singular simple present forspills, present participle forspilling, simple past and past participle forspilled or forspilt)

1. (transitive) To destroy; ruin; lose.
   • 1898, Omar Khayyam, John Payne, Villon Society, The quatrains of Omar Kheyyam of Nishapour:

     In fine, all these treasures, like snow on the wold, Three days lain, then to nothing forspilled, suppose.

   • 2011, John Payne Hafiz, The Collected Poems of Hafiz:

     In questing for the talisman That ruled the wished-for treasure, The world on me, for grief of her, Was all forspilled; and 'twas not.