spoilage

noun
spoil·​age | \ ˈspȯi-lij How to pronounce spoilage (audio) \

Definition of spoilage

1 : the act or process of spoiling especially : the process of decay in foodstuffs
2 : something spoiled or wasted
3 : loss by spoilage

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Examples of spoilage in a Sentence

The milk should be refrigerated to prevent spoilage. in the days before refrigeration, spoilage was a constant problem

Recent Examples on the Web

With those spoilage microorganisms gone, fruit shelf life increases by 25 percent. Virginia Gewin, Washington Post, "Produce growers get new ammunition in the battle against outbreaks," 22 July 2019 The measures needed to prevent spoilage require extra packaging and can create more waste for the environment. Dorothy Dworkin, sun-sentinel.com, "On a cooking strike | Opinion," 25 July 2019 Your tolerance for spoilage likely varies depending on the food. Washington Post, "‘Sell By’ or what? US pushes for clarity on expiration dates," 6 June 2019 Modern food and beverage containers help reduce food spoilage and waste. Saabira Chaudhuri, WSJ, "Plastic Water Bottles, Which Enabled a Drinks Boom, Now Threaten a Crisis," 12 Dec. 2018 Aromas of barnyard or sweaty saddle can indicate the presence of brettanomyces, a spoilage yeast that, at low concentrations, is considered a desirable, stylistic trait in certain wines. Stephanie Miskew, Fox News, "3 ways to tell if a bottle of wine is bad and what to do about it," 10 Oct. 2016 Food scientists refined the recipes for many common packaged foods over decades to reduce spoilage, contamination and costs. Heather Haddon, WSJ, "Anyone for Diglycerides? Anyone? Food Scientists Are Getting Fed Up With Picky Eaters," 12 Oct. 2018 Lengthy customs checks would increase the risk of spoilage. Jason Douglas, WSJ, "May’s Brexit Plan Comes Just in Time for Supply Chains," 11 July 2018 However, the most recent reports suggest that the ballot spoilage rate is surprisingly low — in the range of 3 to 4 percent. Seth Masket, Vox, "How Colorado’s unaffiliated voted," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spoilage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of spoilage

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for spoilage

spoilage

noun

English Language Learners Definition of spoilage

technical : the process or result of decaying

spoilage

noun
spoil·​age | \ ˈspȯi-lij How to pronounce spoilage (audio) \

Kids Definition of spoilage

: the process or result of the decay of food