depredation

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an act of plundering, pillaging, or violently seizing property

   The border villages suffered repeated depredation by armed raiders.

2. 2
   noun

   damage or loss caused by destructive activity, attacks, or predatory animals

   Farmers built stronger fences to limit the depredations of deer on young crops.

Simplified etymology

Depredation, recorded in late Middle English, derives from the Latin word family of praedari “to plunder” and praeda “booty,” which arose from a shortened form of prehendere “to seize.”

From Middle French depredation, from Latin depraedatio ("plundering"), based on depraedari ("to plunder"). The Latin verb combines de- with praeda ("booty, prey"), the source also seen in predator and predation.

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