pillage

[ pil-ij ]
/ ˈpɪl ɪdʒ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pillage ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), pil·laged, pil·lag·ing.

to strip ruthlessly of money or goods by open violence, as in war; plunder: The barbarians pillaged every conquered city.
to take as booty.

verb (used without object), pil·laged, pil·lag·ing.

to rob with open violence; take booty: Soldiers roamed the countryside, pillaging and killing.

noun

the act of plundering, especially in war.
booty or spoil.

Origin of pillage

1350–1400; Middle English pilage (see pill3, -age), modeled on Middle French pillage (derivative of piller to pillage, orig., to abuse, mistreat, tear, of uncertain origin)

OTHER WORDS FROM pillage

pil·lag·er, noun un·pil·laged, adjective

Words nearby pillage

pill beetle, pill bug, pill popper, pill pusher, pill-rolling, pillage, pillar, pillar box, pillar to post, pillar-and-breast, pillarbox

Words related to pillage

maraud, pilfer, ravage, desecrate, loot, ransack, desolate, rob, sack, trespass, appropriate, strip, devastate, nab, arrogate, ruin, thieve, purloin, waste, invade

Example sentences from the Web for pillage

British Dictionary definitions for pillage

pillage
/ (ˈpɪlɪdʒ) /

verb

to rob (a town, village, etc) of (booty or spoils), esp during a war

noun

the act of pillaging
something obtained by pillaging; booty

Derived forms of pillage

pillager, noun

Word Origin for pillage

C14: via Old French from piller to despoil, probably from peille rag, from Latin pīleus felt cap