plunder

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plunder

to rob by open force, as in war; to take wrongfully as by pillage or fraud

Not to be confused with:

burglary – breaking and entering a building with intent to steal

robbery – taking the property of a person in his or her presence by violence or intimidation

theft – the act of stealing; unlawfully taking and carrying away the property of another; larceny

plun·der

(plŭn′dər)

v. plun·dered, plun·der·ing, plun·ders

v.tr.

1. To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war; pillage: plunder a village.

2. To seize wrongfully or by force; steal: plundered the supplies.

v.intr.

To take booty; rob.

1. The act or practice of plundering.

2. Property stolen by fraud or force; booty.

[German plündern, from Middle High German plundern, from Middle Low German plunder, household goods.]

plun′der·a·ble adj.

plun′der·er n.

plun′der·ous adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

plunder

(ˈplʌndə)

1. to steal (valuables, goods, sacred items, etc) from (a town, church, etc) by force, esp in time of war; loot

2. (tr) to rob or steal (choice or desirable things) from (a place): to plunder an orchard.

3. anything taken by plundering or theft; booty

4. the act of plundering; pillage

[C17: probably from Dutch plunderen (originally: to plunder household goods); compare Middle High German plunder bedding, household goods]

ˈplunderable adj

ˈplunderer n

ˈplunderous adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

plun•der

(ˈplʌn dər)

v.t.

1. to rob of goods or valuables by open force, as in war: to plunder a town.

2. to rob or fleece: to plunder the public treasury.

3. to take by pillage, robbery, or fraud.

v.i.

4. to take plunder; pillage.

5. plundering or pillage.

6. that which is taken in plundering; loot.

7. anything taken by robbery, theft, or fraud.

[1620–30; < Dutch plunderen]

plun′der•a•ble, adj.

plun′der•er, n.

plun′der•ing•ly, adv.

plun′der•ous, adj.

plunder

- Etymologically, it means "rob of household goods," from Dutch plunde/plunne, "household goods."

plunder

Past participle: plundered
Gerund: plundering

Imperative
plunder
plunder

Present
I plunder
you plunder
he/she/it plunders
we plunder
you plunder
they plunder

Preterite
I plundered
you plundered
he/she/it plundered
we plundered
you plundered
they plundered

Present Continuous
I am plundering
you are plundering
he/she/it is plundering
we are plundering
you are plundering
they are plundering

Present Perfect
I have plundered
you have plundered
he/she/it has plundered
we have plundered
you have plundered
they have plundered

Past Continuous
I was plundering
you were plundering
he/she/it was plundering
we were plundering
you were plundering
they were plundering

Past Perfect
I had plundered
you had plundered
he/she/it had plundered
we had plundered
you had plundered
they had plundered

Future
I will plunder
you will plunder
he/she/it will plunder
we will plunder
you will plunder
they will plunder

Future Perfect
I will have plundered
you will have plundered
he/she/it will have plundered
we will have plundered
you will have plundered
they will have plundered

Future Continuous
I will be plundering
you will be plundering
he/she/it will be plundering
we will be plundering
you will be plundering
they will be plundering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been plundering
you have been plundering
he/she/it has been plundering
we have been plundering
you have been plundering
they have been plundering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been plundering
you will have been plundering
he/she/it will have been plundering
we will have been plundering
you will have been plundering
they will have been plundering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been plundering
you had been plundering
he/she/it had been plundering
we had been plundering
you had been plundering
they had been plundering

Conditional
I would plunder
you would plunder
he/she/it would plunder
we would plunder
you would plunder
they would plunder

Past Conditional
I would have plundered
you would have plundered
he/she/it would have plundered
we would have plundered
you would have plundered
they would have plundered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	plunder - goods or money obtained illegally booty, dirty money, loot, pillage, prize, swag stolen property - property that has been stolen cut - a share of the profits; "everyone got a cut of the earnings"
Verb	1.	plunder - take illegally; of intellectual property; "This writer plundered from famous authors" loot crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense, offence - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes" steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
	2.	plunder - plunder (a town) after capture; "the barbarians sacked Rome" sack take - take by force; "Hitler took the Baltic Republics"; "The army took the fort on the hill"
	3.	plunder - steal goods; take as spoils; "During the earthquake people looted the stores that were deserted by their owners" pillage, ransack, reave, rifle, despoil, foray, loot, strip take - take by force; "Hitler took the Baltic Republics"; "The army took the fort on the hill" deplume, displume - strip of honors, possessions, or attributes
	4.	plunder - destroy and strip of its possession; "The soldiers raped the beautiful country" despoil, rape, violate, spoil ruin, destroy - destroy completely; damage irreparably; "You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"; "The tears ruined her make-up"

plunder

verb

1. loot, strip, sack, rob, raid, devastate, spoil, rifle, ravage, ransack, pillage, despoil They plundered and burned the town.

2. steal, rob, take, nick (informal), trouser (slang), pinch (informal), knock off (slang), embezzle, pilfer, thieve a settlement to recover money plundered from government coffers

noun

1. pillage, sacking, robbery, marauding, rapine, spoliation a guerrilla group infamous for torture and plunder

2. loot, spoils, prey, booty, swag (slang), ill-gotten gains Pirates swarmed the seas in search of easy plunder.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

plunder

verb

To rob of goods by force, especially in time of war:

depredate, despoil, havoc, loot, pillage, ransack, rape, ravage, sack, spoliate, strip.

Archaic: harrow, spoil.

noun

Goods or property seized unlawfully, especially by a victor in wartime:

booty, loot, pillage, spoil (used in plural).

Slang: boodle.

Nautical: prize.

Translations

مَغْنَم، ما يُنْهَبيَسْلُب، يَنْهَب

kořistlupplenit

bytteplyndre

plündern rauben ausplündern Beute

λεηλατώ

butin piller ravir

fosztogatkifosztkirabolzsákmány

rænaránsfengur

saccheggiare saccheggio

grobikas

izlaupītlaupījumslaupīt

røve

plundra

ganimet yağmayağmalamak

抢劫掠夺物

plunder

[ˈplʌndəʳ]

A. N (= act) → pillaje m, saqueo m; (= loot) → botín m

B. VT → pillar, saquear; [+ tomb] → robar; [+ safe] → robar (el contenido de)
they plundered my cellar → me saquearon la bodega

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

plunder

[ˈplʌndə^r]

[place] → pillage m

(= stolen goods) → butin m

(= loot) [+ place] → piller

(= steal) [+ valuables, antiquities] → voler; [+ public money] → détourner
to plunder from government funds → détourner des fonds publics
They plundered £4 billion from government funds → Ils ont détourné 4 milliards de livres de fonds publics.

plunder

(= act) (of place) → Plünderung f; (of things) → Raub m

(= loot) → Beute f

vt place → plündern (also hum); (completely) → ausplündern; people → ausplündern; thing → rauben

vi → plündern

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

plunder

[ˈplʌndəʳ]

1. n (act) → saccheggio; (loot) → bottino

2. vt (gen) → saccheggiare; (villagers) → depredare; (objects) → far man bassa di

plunder

(ˈplandə) verb

to rob or steal from (a place). The soldiers plundered and looted (the city).

noun

the things stolen. They ran off with their plunder.

ˈplunderer noun

References in classic literature ?

We were each attached to a party sent out by the general's orders to prevent the plunder and confusion which followed our conquest.

View in context

Here as at Tarutino they went after plunder, leaving the men.

View in context

'You keep me poor, and plunder me, and make a sport and jest of me besides,' said the old man, turning from one to the other.

View in context

A ROBBER who had plundered a Merchant of one thousand pieces of gold was taken before the Cadi, who asked him if he had anything to say why he should not be decapitated.

View in context

When you plunder a countryside, let the spoil be divided amongst your men; when you capture new territory, cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery.

View in context

"Why," said the Kite, "do I see you with such a rueful look?' "I seek," she replied, "a mate suitable for me, and am not able to find one." "Take me," returned the Kite, "I am much stronger than you are." "Why, are you able to secure the means of living by your plunder?' "Well, I have often caught and carried away an ostrich in my talons." The Eagle, persuaded by these words, accepted him as her mate.

View in context

and what if they be guilty of the same rapine and plunder the possessions of the majority, that will be as right as the other: but that all things of this sort are wrong and unjust is evident.

View in context

servants of thy own Merciful Son, who came to seek and save The homeless and the outcast, fettering down The tasked and plundered slave!

View in context

So the Nome King will send them through the tunnel first, to conquer and destroy, and then the Nomes will follow after to get their share of the plunder and slaves."