contraband of war

American  

noun

International Law.

1. goods that a neutral nation cannot supply to a belligerent nation except at the risk of seizure and confiscation.

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Etymology

Origin of contraband of war

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contraband of war

Historians have argued that Butler’s so-called contraband of war policy did not concern itself with the Black men’s humanity.

From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2020

The declaration by Union authorities that medicine was a contraband of war and their unwillingness to exchange prisoners contributed to the deplorable prison deaths.

From The Civil War Centennial Handbook by William H. Price

I suspected that coal had been made a contraband of war, so I wasn’t a bit surprised when the St. Paul brought us to, with a shot, three and a half miles from shore.”

From The Boys of '98 by James Otis

The shores of the "Sister Islands" presented to each other the view of rival frontiers, and the passage of a fragment of Irish produce was as impracticable as if it had been contraband of war.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 57, No. 354, April 1845 by Various

First: It is agreed that the Sumter shall have free access to the work-shops and markets, to make necessary repairs and supply herself with necessary articles, contraband of war excepted.

From Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States by Raphael Semmes