First Known Use: circa 1529
Dictionary
contraband
noun con·tra·band \ˈkän-trə-ˌband\
: things that are brought into or out of a country illegally
Full Definition of CONTRABAND
1
: illegal or prohibited traffic in goods : smuggling
2
: goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden; also : smuggled goods
3
: a slave who during the American Civil War escaped to or was brought within the Union lines
— contraband adjective
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Origin of CONTRABAND
Italian contrabbando, from Medieval Latin contrabannum, from contra- + bannus, bannum decree, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German bannan to command — more at ban
Other Legal Terms
Rhymes with CONTRABAND
ampersand, baby grand, bear a hand, beforehand, behindhand, bellyband, belly-land, borderland, bottomland, cap in hand, concert grand, confirmand, countermand, Damavand, Dixieland, ductless gland, eldest hand, fairyland, fatherland, force one's hand, forestland, four-in-hand, garage band, gastric gland, Gelderland, graduand, hand in hand, hand-to-hand, hand to hand, helping hand, high command, hinterland, Holy Land, Krugerrand, lotusland, meadowland, minute hand, motherland, Nagaland, narrowband, no-man's-land, on demand, one-man band, one-night stand, operand, ordinand, out of hand, overhand, overland, parlor grand, pastureland, promised land, prostate gland, public land, radicand, reprimand, Rio Grande, rubber band, running hand, saraband, secondhand, Swaziland, tableland, taxi stand, timberland, Togoland, try one's hand, underhand, undermanned, understand, wonderland, Zululand
CONTRABAND Defined for Kids
contraband
noun con·tra·band \ˈkän-trə-ˌband\
Definition of CONTRABAND for Kids
: goods forbidden by law to be owned or to be brought into or out of a country
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