¹plunder

verb plun·der \ˈplən-dər\

: to steal things from (a place, such as a city or town) especially by force

plun·deredplun·der·ing \-d(ə-)riŋ\

Full Definition of PLUNDER

transitive verb

a : to take the goods of by force (as in war) : pillage, sack <invaders plundered the town>

b : to take by force or wrongfully : steal, loot <plundered artifacts from the tomb>

: to make extensive use of as if by plundering : use or use up wrongfully <plunder the land>

intransitive verb

: to commit robbery or looting

— plun·der·er \-dər-ər\ noun

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Origin of PLUNDER

German plündern

First Known Use: 1632

Related to PLUNDER

Synonyms: despoil, loot, maraud, pillage, ransack, sack

Rhymes with PLUNDER

Bandar, blunder, funder, sunder, thunder, under, wonder

²plunder

noun

: the act of stealing things from a place especially by force : the act of plundering something

: things that are stolen or taken by force especially during a war

Full Definition of PLUNDER

: an act of plundering : pillaging

: something taken by force, theft, or fraud : loot

chiefly dialect : personal or household effects

See plunder defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of PLUNDER

1643

Related to PLUNDER

Synonyms: booty, pillage, loot, spoil, swag

Synonym Discussion of PLUNDER

spoil, plunder, booty, prize, loot mean something taken from another by force or craft. spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest <the spoils of political victory>. plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling <a bootlegger's plunder>. booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates <thieves dividing up their booty>. prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy <the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea>. loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe <picked through the ruins for loot>.

PLUNDER Defined for Kids