different between plunder vs harass

English

Etymology

Recorded since 1632 during the Thirty Years War, native British use since the Cromwellian Civil War. Borrowed from German plündern (“to loot”), from Middle High German, from Middle Low German plunderen. Cognate with Dutch plunderen, West Frisian plonderje, Saterland Frisian plunnerje. Probably denominal from a word for “household goods, clothes, bedding”; compare Middle Dutch plunder, German Plunder (“stuff”), Dutch and West Frisian plunje (“clothes”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: pl?n'd?(r), IPA^(key): /?pl?nd?(?)/
• Rhymes: -?nd?(?)

Verb

plunder (third-person singular simple present plunders, present participle plundering, simple past and past participle plundered)

1. (transitive) To pillage, take or destroy all the goods of, by force (as in war); to raid, sack.
2. (transitive) To take (goods) by pillage.

3. (intransitive) To take by force or wrongfully; to commit robbery or looting, to raid.

4. (transitive) To make extensive (over)use of, as if by plundering; to use or use up wrongfully.

5. (transitive) To take unexpectedly.
   • 2014, Paul Doyle, "Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian, 18 October 2014:

     The Serb teed up Steve Davis, who crossed low for Graziano Pellè to plunder his fifth league goal of the campaign.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

plunder (uncountable)

1. An instance of plundering.
2. The loot attained by plundering.

   See Thesaurus:booty

3. (slang, dated) Baggage; luggage.
   • 1880, The Peterson Magazine (volumes 77-78, page 215)

     […] till a long-legged boy brought him out of his revery, by an offer to carry his “plunder,” in whatsoever direction he might desire to direct his steps.

See also

• manubial

Translations

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch plunder, further etymology unknown.

Alternative forms

• plonder (obsolete)

Noun

plunder c (plural plunders, diminutive plundertje n)

1. One's property, (collective) possessions

   Synonyms: have (en goed), huisraad

   1. Notably furniture and other (mainly small) home inventory

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb

plunder

1. first-person singular present indicative of plunderen
2. imperative of plunderen

English

Etymology

From Old French harasser (“to tire out, to vex”), of obscure origin, perhaps from Old French harer (“to stir up, provoke, set a dog on”) and/or Old French harier (“to harry”); see harry; compare Old French harace (“a basket made of cords”), harace, harasse (“a very heavy and large shield”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: h?r?s?, h??r?s, IPA^(key): /h???æs/, /?hæ??s/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: h??r?s, h?r?s?, IPA^(key): /?hæ??s/, /h???æs/
• Rhymes: -æs
• Rhymes: -ær?s

Verb

harass (third-person singular simple present harasses, present participle harassing, simple past and past participle harassed)

1. To fatigue or to tire with repeated and exhausting efforts.
2. To annoy endlessly or systematically.

   Synonyms: beset, chevy, hassle, harry, molest, plague, provoke

   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 23[1]

     In my old home, I always knew that John and my master were my friends; but here, although in many ways I was well treated, I had no friend. York might have known, and very likely did know, how that rein harassed me; but I suppose he took it as a matter of course that could not be helped; at any rate nothing was done to relieve me.

3. To put excessive burdens upon; to subject to anxieties.

Derived terms

• harasser
• harassful
• harassment

Translations

Noun

harass

1. (obsolete) devastation; waste
2. (obsolete) worry; harassment

   • The daily harass, and the fight delay'd

Further reading

• harass in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• harass in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• hassar