depredate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word 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
Not a thief or a robber can live or depredate among their tenants.
From A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & II by Sleeman, William
They then go out and depredate the country.
From Modern Eloquence: Vol II, After-Dinner Speeches E-O by Reed, Thomas B. (Thomas Brackett)
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
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
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.
