depredate

verb

dep·​re·​date ˈde-prə-ˌdāt 

depredated; depredating

transitive verb

: to lay waste : plunder, ravage

intransitive verb

: to engage in plunder

depredation

ˌde-prə-ˈdā-shən 

noun

depredator

ˈde-prə-ˌdā-tər 

di-ˈpre-də-

noun

depredatory

di-ˈpre-də-ˌtȯr-ē 

ˈde-pri-də-

adjective

Did you know?

Depredate derives primarily from the Latin verb praedari, meaning "to plunder," an ancestor to our words predator and prey. Dating to the 17th century, the word most commonly appears in contexts relating to nature and ecology, where it is often used to describe the methodical, almost automatic destruction of life. That's how the film critic Stanley Kauffman, for example, used it to summarize the plot of the famous horror movie Jaws (1975): "A killer shark depredates the beach of an island summer resort. Several people are killed. Finally, the shark is killed. That's the story."

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin depraedatus, past participle of depraedari, from Latin de- + praedari to plunder — more at prey entry 2

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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