Word
loot
US/ˈɫut/
UK/lˈuːt/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. valuable things that are stolen or taken by force, especially during a war or a crime. In video games, it refers to the items you find or win after a battle.
n. goods or valuables taken from an enemy in war or stolen by thieves. Often used in gaming contexts to refer to rewards or equipment collected by a player.
Examples
“The thieves escaped with a bag full of loot.”
“After defeating the final boss, the players gathered to divide the rare loot they had earned.”
“Historians are still debating the ethics of displaying ancient loot in national museums when the items were originally seized during colonial expeditions.”
Examples
simple
“The thieves escaped with a bag full of loot.”
contextual
“After defeating the final boss, the players gathered to divide the rare loot they had earned.”
complex
“Historians are still debating the ethics of displaying ancient loot in national museums when the items were originally seized during colonial expeditions.”
Usage
Typically uncountable when referring to the general concept of stolen goods; occasionally used as a verb meaning to steal during a riot or war.
Real-World Examples
“In Marseille, football club Olympique de Marseille said its official store on the city's historic main avenue had been looted.” “Later, Popham Bell helped the MFAA team return some 5,000 church bells that had been looted from churches across Europe.” “A bit like the pyramids in Egypt that were looted by tomb robbers."
No final decision has been made though.” “Many such objects would have been looted and melted down in ancient times, says Oxford Egyptologist Margaret Maitland.” Etymology
Borrowed from Hindi लूट (lūṭ, “booty”), either from Sanskrit लोप्त्र (loptra, “booty, stolen property”) or लुण्ट् (luṇṭ, “to rob, plunder”). The figurative meaning developed in American English in the 1920s, resulting in a generalized meaning by the 1950s.
Borrowed from Middle Dutch loet or loete (“scoop, shovel, scraper”), from reconstructed Old Dutch lōta, from Old Frankish lōtija (“scoop”), from Proto-Germanic hlōþþijō (“scoop”), from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂- (“to lay down, deposit, overlay”). Related to lade and ladle, and cognate with Dutch loet, Scots lute or luyt (“scoop”), West Frisian loete or lete, Middle Low German lōte (“rake”), and French louche (“ladle”).
Clipping.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/loot