booty

¹ American  

[boo-tee] / ˈbu ti /

noun

plural

booties

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

plural

booties, bootys

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

• bootyless adjective

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

Important works of art from Bohemian lands were destroyed by iconoclasts during the Hussite Wars of the 15th century, and much was taken as booty during the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

The North Koreans have not only made their thievery more efficient, but have also refined their money-laundering techniques to the point that the stolen booty disappears into the dark reaches of cyberspace within days.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 28, 2025

“I think we kick ourselves in the booty by taking someone off the ballot, why force someone off a ballot,” shouts one woman in between cheers for the hockey.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2024

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

“Pirate’s booty? You mean like gold and jewels and stuff?”

From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon

Related Words

• spoils