loot

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun goods or money obtained illegally
  2. noun informal terms for money
  3. verb take illegally; of intellectual property

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindi लूट (lūṭ, “booty”), either from Sanskrit लोप्त्र (loptra, “booty, stolen property”) or लुण्ट् (luṇṭ, “to rob, plunder”). The figurative meaning developed in American English in the 1920s, resulting in a generalized meaning by the 1950s.

In classic literature

Synonyms

booty, pillage, plunder, prize, swag, dirty money

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