rapine
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of rapine
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin rapīna robbery, pillage. See rape 1, -ine 2
Explanation
Use the noun rapine when you're talking about the deliberate destruction of a town or country during war, especially when it involves theft. Unfortunately, rapine is a part of most warfare — invading troops destroying buildings and homes as they advance, taking whatever they choose. It's more commonly called plunder or pillage, with rapine being used most often in a literary context. The Latin root is rapina, "act of robbery," which in turn comes from rapere, "seize" or "carry off."
Vocabulary lists containing rapine
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Quiz yourself on these words spoken by the man at the center of the "Laurel" / "Yanny" craze!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Paradise Lost
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
He was far removed from the established neoclassical Parisian academicians, whose plump-fleshed vignettes of rapine, bustle, moments of battle and historical panoramas were the fine art of the day.
From Time Magazine Archive
Mr. Rickett's motive is interpreted by the less credulous as a desire to save Ethiopia, and incidentally his concession, from Italian rapine by putting new hope into the elements opposed to invasion.
From Time Magazine Archive
Every article of human wealth has certain conditions attached to its merited possession, which, when they are unobserved, possession becomes rapine.
From Unto This Last and Other Essays on Political Economy by John Ruskin
They were not notice-boards and gates—they were the insulting tokens of invasion and rapine and defeat.
From Mushroom Town by Oliver Onions
The illusions to which the spirit of rapine is so much exposed may give birth to an enterprize of depredation; apprehensions of any such event entertained here would necessarily give birth to preparations of defence.
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.
