Bandit

//ˈbændɪt// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One who robs others in a lawless area, especially as part of a group.

    "Do you recollect a story my nurse told us of a Sicilian bandit, the terror of the country?—how he saved a young child from a cottage on fire, brought it up delicately, and far removed from his own pursuits; while, at his execution, his chief regret was the future provision for that boy?"

  2. 2
    an armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band wordnet
  3. 3
    An outlaw.
  4. 4
    One who cheats others.
  5. 5
    An aircraft identified as an enemy, but distinct from "hostile" or "threat" in that it is not immediately to be engaged.
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  1. 6
    A runner who covertly joins a race without having registered as a participant. slang
  2. 7
    Synonym of arse bandit. UK, dated, derogatory, slang
Verb
  1. 1
    To rob, or steal from, in the manner of a bandit. ambitransitive

    "First, she read the bandit news in the paper, and was rather disappointed to learn that her man had evidently taken a night off from banditing. An imitator of the bandit had made an unsuccessful attempt to hold up a drug-store, and had backed out and run when the nervy proprietor reached for a gun; but that was all."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Italian bandito (“outlawed”), a derivative of Italian bandire (“to ban”), from Late Latin bandīre, an alteration (due to Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bandwjan, “to signal”)) of Late Latin bannīre (“to ban”), from Frankish *bannan (“to ban”). Doublet of bandito.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Italian bandito (“outlawed”), a derivative of Italian bandire (“to ban”), from Late Latin bandīre, an alteration (due to Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bandwjan, “to signal”)) of Late Latin bannīre (“to ban”), from Frankish *bannan (“to ban”). Doublet of bandito.

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