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

So light up that candle, lock the doors and bring the tissues if you have to — just don’t be ashamed to feel all the feels, or shake your booty if the mood strikes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

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

Records of just one of Thutmose III’s campaigns in Canaan note that the booty included more than two thousand horses and twenty thousand sheep, almost two thousand goats, wheat,

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

Small planes fly in and out, carrying Russian booty.

From New York Times ● Dec. 24, 2022

“It’s going to work out. Annabeth is going to kick some serious booty, too. You’ll see.”

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

He had no shoes, only the orange booties given to him at a detention center.

From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2026

I let myself in and slipped blue cotton booties over my shoes.

From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2025

Fashionistas looking for a non-stiletto option will find that SJP also offers a collection of block heel booties and pointy flats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 18, 2023

Shoes, thousands upon thousands, fill another warehouse: white kid-leather baby booties, red high-heeled dancing shoes.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

Related Words

• spoils