loot

¹

[loot]

noun

1. spoils or plunder taken by pillaging, as in war.

   Synonyms: booty

2. anything taken by dishonesty, force, stealth, etc..

   a burglar's loot.

3. a collection of valued objects.

   The children shouted and laughed as they opened their Christmas loot.

4. Slang.,  money.

   You'll have a fine time spending all that loot.

5. the act of looting or plundering.

   to take part in the loot of a conquered city.

6. (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)

1. to carry off or take (something) as loot.

   to loot a nation's art treasures.

2. to despoil by taking loot; plunder or pillage (a city, house, etc.), as in war.

   The invaders looted temples and shrines.

   Synonyms: ransack, sack

3. to rob, as by burglary or corrupt activity in public office.

   to loot the public treasury.

4. (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)

1. to take loot; plunder.

   The conquerors looted and robbed.

loot

²

[loot]

verb

Scot.

1. simple past tense of let.

loot

/ luːt /

noun

1. goods stolen during pillaging, as in wartime, during riots, etc

2. goods, money, etc, obtained illegally

3. informal,  money or wealth

4. the act of looting or plundering

verb

1. to pillage (a city, settlement, etc) during war or riots

2. to steal (money or goods), esp during pillaging

Other Word Forms

• looter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of loot¹

First recorded in 1780–90; from Hindi lūṭ, from Sanskrit lotra, loptra “booty, spoil”

Word History and Origins

Origin of loot¹

C19: from Hindi lūt

Example Sentences

“There’s remnants of what the ride became,” Hahn says, pointing to the map’s depictions of tunnels and sandy areas with hidden loot.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Buddy’s plan gets foiled when Odd, confronted with his crime, quietly admits it, returns the loot, and leaves the house.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While many Gazans don’t like seeing the group reassert itself, they have welcomed a reduction in crime and looting.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The portrait was looted by the Nazis and almost destroyed in a fire in World War Two, but was rescued in 1948.

Read more on BBC

Once in the United States, police say, they plan heists and sometimes fence the loot before dispatching their earnings back home.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• burglarize 
• grab 
• gut 
• pillage 
• plunder 
• raid 
• ransack 
• rob 
• snatch 

When To Use

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.