different between plunder vs ransack

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 Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka, from rann (“house”) + saka (“search”); probably influenced by sack.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??ænsæk/
• Homophone: RANSAC

Verb

ransack (third-person singular simple present ransacks, present participle ransacking, simple past and past participle ransacked)

1. (transitive) To loot or pillage. See also sack.
2. (transitive) To make a vigorous and thorough search of (a place, person) with a view to stealing something, especially when leaving behind a state of disarray.

   • to ransack every corner of their […] hearts

3. (archaic) To examine carefully; to investigate.
4. To violate; to ravish; to deflower.

Translations

Noun

ransack (plural ransacks)

1. Eager search.
   • 1861, The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science, and Art

     Perhaps this stone also will turn up in the ransack of the sultan's treasury.

Anagrams

• rackans