booty

¹ American  

[boo-tee] / ˈbu ti /

noun

• booties
  plural

1. spoil taken from an enemy in war; plunder; pillage.

   Synonyms:

   swag, winnings, gains, loot, spoils

2. something that is seized by violence and robbery.

   Synonyms:

   swag, winnings, gains, loot, spoils

3. any prize or gain.

   Synonyms:

   swag, winnings, gains, loot, spoils

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booty ² American  

[boo-tee] / ˈbu ti /

Also boody

noun

• booties,
  plural
• bootys
  plural

1. Slang. the buttocks.

2. Slang: Vulgar.

   1. the vulva or vagina.

   2. sexual intercourse.

   3. women regarded as sex objects.

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idioms

1. shake one's booty,

   1. to swing the hips and buttocks from side to side.

   2. to dance with energy and enthusiasm.

booty ¹ British  

/ ˈbuːtɪ /

noun

1. any valuable article or articles, esp when obtained as plunder

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booty ² British  

/ ˈbuːtɪ /

noun

1. slang the buttocks

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bootyless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• booties
  plural
• bootys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of booty¹

First recorded 1425–75; late Middle English boti “profit (from plundering),” from bote, bot, bout “advantage, benefit, relief,” Old English bōt; cognate with Middle Low German bute “booty,” Old Norse bȳti “exchange, barter”; oo from boot ²

Origin of booty²

First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain; from African American Vernacular English, perhaps from obsolete sense “body”; akin to Jamaican English and Krio buti “buttocks”

Explanation

Booty is treasure — money, jewels, and the like — obtained by criminal means, especially plundering or pillaging. If you're in the Caribbean on vacation, you could spend some time looking for buried pirate booty. Although booty originally meant stolen goods from war or pirating activities, the term is now sometimes used more generically to mean any riches or treasure. Although you may feel as though you plundered your own bank account to buy new clothes for yourself, all the booty you brought home from the mall might make you decide that it was worth it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

booty booties

Men who train with the Whoop app have doubled their booty exercises over the past 24 months, according to the company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

The penacho, experts say, was likely among the Mexican booty that the conquering Spanish dispatched back across the Atlantic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025

Archaeologists believe the swords were hidden by Judean rebels after they were seized from the Roman army as booty.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2023

Assyrian ivory carving of a man leading an antelope by the horns, as booty to enrich a treasury.

From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2022

And then he heard the cries: "Victory, victory! Get up, Sir Governor. Come enjoy our victory. Let's go divide the booty."

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

There are also heat-safe booties you can buy for your pup that’ll not only protect them, but will make them look fabulous, too.

From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2024

"Heat radiating off paved streets and walkways is much more intense for dogs than it is for people. Often, dog owners will use booties to protect their dogs' feet."

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2023

Pet owners outfit their furry friends in booties to keep their paws from getting singed.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 18, 2023

After putting on protective raincoats and booties, an enthusiastic teacher walked us through picking colors, filling up each paint balloon and safely shooting them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2023

No one is wearing surgical gloves, masks, or booties.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Related Words

• spoils