raid

[ reyd ]

noun

1. a sudden assault or attack, as upon something to be seized or suppressed:

   a police raid on a gambling ring.

   Synonyms: seizure

2. Military. a sudden attack on the enemy, as by air or by a small land force.

   Synonyms: inroad, invasion, incursion

3. a vigorous, large-scale effort to lure away a competitor's employees, members, etc.
4. Finance. a concerted attempt of speculators to force stock prices down.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a raid on.
2. to steal from; loot:

   a worry that the investment fund is being raided.

3. to entice away from another:

   Large companies are raiding key personnel from smaller companies.

4. to indulge oneself by taking from, especially in order to eat:

   raiding the cookie jar.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in a raid.

raid

/ reɪd /

noun

1. a sudden surprise attack

   an air raid

2. a surprise visit by police searching for criminals or illicit goods

   a fraud-squad raid

3. See dawn raid, bear raid
   See also bear raid dawn raid

verb

1. to make a raid against (a person, thing, etc)
2. to sneak into (a place) in order to take something, steal, etc

   raiding the larder

Derived Forms

• ˈraider, noun

Other Words From

• counter·raid noun verb
• un·raided adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of raid¹

1375–1425; Middle English (north and Scots ) ra ( i ) de, Old English rād expedition, literally, a riding; doublet of road

Word History and Origins

Origin of raid¹

C15: Scottish dialect, from Old English rād military expedition; see road

Example Sentences

The residents who carried out the raid had lurked some time before.

From Washington Blade

Montgomery County officials released police body-camera video Monday from a fatal no-knock raid in suburban Maryland last year — footage that confirmed SWAT officers did not record the actual shooting of 21-year-old Duncan Lemp.

From Washington Post

The raid signals how dependent the industry had become on unauthorized workers.

From ProPublica

At the same time, immigration raids in the mid-2000s pushed many meatpackers, including Tyson, to recruit refugees and immigrants with work authorization from Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands.

From ProPublica

He was there for every major story, including the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and the endless wars along the country’s frontiers.

From Washington Post

There have been at least 50 cases similar to the bathhouse raid in the last 18 months, human-rights groups estimate.

From The Daily Beast

The last time there was a raid of this scale was in 2001, when 52 men were arrested on Queen Boat, a floating disco on the Nile.

From The Daily Beast

A 2008 Pakistani raid near Turbat turned up Abdolhamid Rigi, the brother of Abdelmalek Rigi.

From The Daily Beast

Back in Iran, he once got word that the Iranians were going to raid a village where his men were stationed.

From The Daily Beast

The most recent raid was actually the second attempt to free Somers, a journalist taken in Yemen 15 months ago.

From The Daily Beast

By that time, however, the Scots had completed another destructive raid.

From Project Gutenberg

Several volunteer companies had organized in various parts of the state for the first time after John Brown's Raid.

From Project Gutenberg

I would watch till midnight and then, if nothing happened, signal my companions to raid the house.

From Project Gutenberg

One phase of a successful Indian raid was missing; there were no warriors madly dancing about the burning homes.

From Project Gutenberg

Only the men who participated in a particular raid were allowed to share in its spoil.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• arrest
• assault
• break in
• capture
• incursion
• invasion
• onslaught
• sortie
• surprise attack
• sweep