Plunder
ˈplʌndər
Definitions
2 meaningsTo take goods by force; to steal from (a place or person), typically during war or a time of violence.
ˈplʌndər
To steal goods from a place or person, typically during a war or violent situation.
The pirates plundered the ship, taking all of the valuable cargo.
💡 Simply: Imagine a pirate ship attacking a town and taking all the gold and treasures. That's plundering! It's like stealing in a big, messy way during a war or something like that.
👶 For kids: Taking things from people or places by force, like stealing but in a big, mean way.
More Examples
After the riot, looters began to plunder the stores.
The soldiers were accused of plundering the homes of civilians.
How It's Used
"The invading army plundered the city, taking all its valuables."
"Soldiers were forbidden to plunder the conquered territories."
Goods taken by force; an act of robbery or theft by force, especially during a war or riot.
ˈplʌndər
The act of stealing goods from a place or person.
The villagers suffered greatly at the hands of the plunderers.
💡 Simply: The stolen stuff itself, like all the gold and jewels the pirates took. Or maybe the mess of stealing during a war or something.
👶 For kids: The things that got stolen when someone took them by force.
More Examples
The museum was a target of plunder during the uprising.
The value of the plunder was estimated to be millions of dollars.
How It's Used
"The city suffered greatly from the plunder that followed the siege."
"The charges included counts of both theft and plunder."
Idioms & expressions
plunder and pillage
To steal goods or cause destruction in a violent way.
"The invading army was allowed to plunder and pillage the countryside."
to plunder someone's mind
To steal another person's ideas, works, or creativity.
"The artist was accused of plundering her mind with another artist's ideas"
From Middle Dutch *plunderen* (to rob, pillage), akin to German *plündern* (to rob, plunder), possibly from a dialectal word for household goods or spoils of war.
The word 'plunder' has been used since the 14th century, often in contexts of war and conquest, describing the act of taking goods by force.
Memory tip
Think of pirates dividing the PLUNDER after a raid. It's all about taking things by force.
Word Origin
"to rob, pillage"