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booty

n. · adj.
US //ˈbuti// UK //bˈuːti// booty
  1. 1 stolen treasure (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    valuable things or money stolen by pirates or soldiers during a war.

    plunder or goods taken from an enemy in war or seized through piracy.

    Example

    The pirates divided the booty equally among the crew after the raid.

    Example

    Historical accounts suggest that the distribution of booty was strictly regulated by a code of conduct signed by every sailor before the voyage began.

  2. 2 sexual partner or act (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Vulgar

    a very informal and sometimes rude way to talk about sex or a person someone has sex with.

    sexual intercourse or a person viewed as a sexual partner. Highly informal and potentially objectifying.

    Example

    He was just looking for some booty and wasn't interested in a real relationship.

    Example

    The phrase 'booty call' became a standard late-night idiom in the 1990s to describe a spontaneous request for a sexual encounter.

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  1. 3 bad or low quality (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang American English

    something that is very bad, cheap, or disappointing.

    of inferior quality; worthless or poorly executed.

    Example

    I'm not going back to that club because the music was totally booty.

    Example

    While the special effects were impressive, the actual plot of the movie was booty, leading to overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics.

Etymology 1

From Middle English buty, botye, bottyne, from Old French butin, botin, from Middle Low German bǖte (“distribution, exchange, loot”), of obscure origin, but related to Middle High German biute, German Beute (“booty”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Celtic *boudi (“profit, gains; victory”). Sense perhaps influenced by boot (as in to boot).

Etymology 2

Probably an alteration of botty. Possibly influenced by booty (etymology 1).

Etymology 3

From boot.

Idioms1 entry

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