Rapine

//ˈɹæpaɪn// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The seizure of someone's property by force; pillage; plunder. countable, uncountable

    "This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men, That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile, Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine."

  2. 2
    the act of despoiling a country in warfare wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To plunder. transitive

    "A Tyrant doth not only rapine his Subjects, but spoils and robs Churches."

Synonyms

All synonyms
plunderbanditrydepredationdespoliationdevastationforay

Example

More examples

"This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men, That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile, Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine."

Etymology

From Middle English rapyne, from Old French rapine, from Latin rapīna, from rapiō. Doublet of rape and ravine.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.