unspoil (verb)

[swift]

Term: (A word or expression you have seen in writing)

unspoil verb (transitive)

Your definition or explanation:

1. To undo the effect of spoiling. 2. (Usually speaking of children) To undo the effect of over-indulgence in.

Example: (An example of the term in use)

Better than unspoiling your children is not spoiling them at all.

One or more places you have seen the term: (Please give URLs/links to web pages, or a full description of a print publication.)

Sense 1

Charlie Wilson's war is now everyone's war -- and, thankfully, we can unspoil an awful ending.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-asghar/pakistans-new-refugees-ca_b_223491.html

A 18th century example

"Why, all my things are spoilt; and what's worse, my sacque was as good as new."

[...]

"M. Du Bois," said I, "will, I am sure, be very sorry when he hears what has happened."

"And what good will that do now?-that won't unspoil all my clothes [...]"

Fanny Burney. Evelina, Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World. 1778.

Sense 2

Be a good role model Your kids are sponges. They learn by watching you. So if you're trying to unspoil them, you must lead by example.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/01/pf/spoiled_kids.moneymag/index.htm?section=money_topstories

Have you looked for this term or meaning in dictionaries, and not found it? Yes

Found only in the Century Dictionary:

To undo or destroy the effect of spoiling or over-indulgence in; cure of being spoiled or over-indulged.

 

[ewie]

Hullo Don Swifty. Just a tiddlypiddly problem in that this is in the full OED (sense 1): it even gives exactly the same quote from Evelina

Still, maybe sense 2 is new: I've certainly never heard it

 

[swift]

Oh~ I 'discovered', so to speak, the second sense this morning but I wouldn't say it's new... I guess sense 1 (as it appears in Evelina) is rare nowadays.

Nice to see you, don Ewie.

 

[ewie]

Actually, Swifty, I've just noticed that the only other quotation the OED gives could well be an instance of sense 2:

‘I am quite spoiled, I believe,’ said Helen; ‘you must unspoil me’.

From Helen (1834) by Maria Edgeworth. I don't know the book so can't say if Helen's spoilt-brat-spoilt or some-other-spoilt.

 

[swift]

I saw that one here:

http://www.wordnik.com/words/unspoil

I didn't quote that example because of my proverbial horror of plagiarism.

Some context here:

"I am afraid, my dear aunt, you will not do Miss Stanley much good," said Miss Clarendon, shaking her head; "you will only spoil her." "I am quite spoiled, I believe," said Helen; "you must unspoil me, Esther."

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8531/pg8531.html

 

[Myridon]

It seems that this word has the obvious meaning of prefix + x.
If that is the case, are there criteria for determining if it deserves a separate entry?