depredate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of depredate
1620–30; < Late Latin dēpraedātus plundered (past participle of depraedārī ), equivalent to Latin dē- de- + praed ( ārī ) to plunder ( see prey) + -ātus -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Cats depredate and scavenge a large fraction of the species present across the range available in the landscapes they forage in," the authors write.
From Salon • Dec. 12, 2023
In his report for 1887 he pays his respects to our enemies from "the northern and eastern borders"—the same hand that has continued to depredate until this day.
From Hunting in Many Lands The Book of the Boone and Crockett Club by Various
At the close of the war of 1812-15, the Dey of Algiers, believing the British navy had utterly destroyed that of the United States, sent out his corsairs to depredate on our commerce.
From Harper's Young People, August 3, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various
I have been told that superstitious thieves hang veils or kerchiefs before the picture in rooms where they depredate.
From Overland through Asia; Pictures of Siberian, Chinese, and Tartar Life by Knox, Thomas Wallace
Bush asked if this man Blackman, who took out a commission in order to depredate and plunder, is still living?
From Uncle Daniel's Story Of "Tom" Anderson And Twenty Great Battles by McElroy, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
