loot
1 Americanverb
noun
-
spoils or plunder taken by pillaging, as in war.
- Synonyms:
- booty
-
anything taken by dishonesty, force, stealth, etc..
a burglar's loot.
-
a collection of valued objects.
The children shouted and laughed as they opened their Christmas loot.
-
Slang. money.
You'll have a fine time spending all that loot.
-
the act of looting or plundering.
to take part in the loot of a conquered city.
-
(in a video game) valuable items that can be claimed from a defeated enemy or cache.
I was hoping for new armor, but this loot was pretty disappointing.
verb (used with object)
-
to carry off or take (something) as loot.
to loot a nation's art treasures.
-
to despoil by taking loot; plunder or pillage (a city, house, etc.), as in war.
The invaders looted temples and shrines.
-
to rob, as by burglary or corrupt activity in public office.
to loot the public treasury.
-
(in a video game) to collect (items from a defeated enemy or cache).
Loot all of the bodies and treasure chests before you exit the dungeon.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
goods stolen during pillaging, as in wartime, during riots, etc
-
goods, money, etc, obtained illegally
-
informal money or wealth
-
the act of looting or plundering
verb
-
to pillage (a city, settlement, etc) during war or riots
-
to steal (money or goods), esp during pillaging
Usage
What does loot mean? Loot is an informal way to collectively refer to valued goods, often ones that are newly acquired, as in That is one big pile of birthday presents—look at all that loot!This meaning of loot is an extension of its original sense, which is still used but less commonly: goods stolen during war. Close synonyms are spoils and plunder. These words and loot can also refer more generally to anything stolen or taken in a dishonest way, such as through burglary or embezzlement.Loot can also be used as a verb meaning to steal things in this way. It is most commonly used to refer to opportunistically stealing things from physical locations during chaotic situations, when police or other authorities are preoccupied, such as in the midst of war or a massive protest. It can also be used in a general or somewhat metaphorical way—crimes like embezzling government money are sometimes referred to as looting the treasury. The act of doing so is called looting, and those who do it are called looters. These terms and the verb loot are always used negatively. They’re sometimes used in a loaded way that’s intended to portray people as lawless, such as when one tries to discredit protesters by calling them rioters and looters.Example: The museum has chosen to return artifacts that were looted from other nations during antiquity.
Other Word Forms
- looter noun
Etymology
Origin of loot
First recorded in 1780–90; from Hindi lūṭ, from Sanskrit lotra, loptra “booty, spoil”
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.
But the scope of the investigations has grown as prosecutors uncover how more programs were looted.
Firefighters used an excavator to remove broken glass and gnarled metal strewn across the site as policemen with pump-action rifles patrolled on motorbike to prevent looting.
From Barron's
It was late, and the store was out of disposable bags, so I tucked some of the loot into my dance bag and cradled the rest in the crook of my arm.
From Salon
Fearing looting and vandalism after Kadhafi's overthrow, the antiquities department removed "all the artefacts until the country re-stabilised", said Fakroun, 63, who has worked at the French archaeological mission to Libya for almost four decades.
From Barron's
Several Ukrainian sources have also accused Butyagin of "looting" objects by taking them to Russia, although these charges are not part of Ukraine's case.
From BBC
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.
