[f. SPOIL v.1 + -AGE.]
† 1. The action or fact of plundering or robbing.
1597. Beard, Theatre God’s Judgem. (1612), 249. Not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses.
1611. Cotgr., s.v., Tirer, What hath beene got by miserie and pillage, comes to be subiect to vnthriftie spoylage.
2. The action of spoiling; the fact of being spoilt.
1816. Bentham, Chrestom., Wks. 1843, VIII. 51. The expence produced by spoilage, during the teaching, is a counter-consideration, which must not be neglected.
3. That which is or has been spoilt; spec. in printing (see quot. 1888).
1888. Jacobi, Printer’s Vocab., 130. Spoilage, applied to the sheets spoilt in printing, sometimes called ‘waste.’ Ibid. (1892), in Athenæum, 27 Aug., 289/2. A very small percentage [of extra sheets] to cover waste and spoilage.
