booty

/'bu:ti/

Thân thiện

The pirate captain divided the booty among the crew.

Definition

Noun: 1. Goods or money obtained illegally: This is the primary meaning, referring to valuables stolen or seized, especially by thieves, pirates, or soldiers in a raid. 2. Something gained or won: In a broader, often playful sense, it can refer to a prize, reward, or valuable acquisition.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Illegal goods):
  • The pirates divided the booty among the crew.
  • Police recovered the stolen booty from the thieves' hideout.
• Noun (Prize or gain):
  • The winning team proudly displayed their booty: the championship trophy.
  • After the sale, she came home with some great shopping booty.

Advanced Usage

• "To play booty": This is an archaic idiom meaning to act in collusion or conspire with others, often for a dishonest purpose. It is rarely used in modern English.
  • The two merchants were suspected of playing booty to fix the prices.

Variants and Related Words

• Loot (noun/verb): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "booty," especially for goods taken in war or by theft.
• Plunder (noun/verb): Emphasizes the act of robbing or looting, and the goods taken as a result.
• Spoils (noun): Often used in the context of war ("the spoils of war") or political victory.

Synonyms

• Swag (informal)
• Pillage
• Haul (informal)
• Prize

Related Idioms

• "The spoils of victory": The rewards or benefits gained from winning.
  • The new contract was the spoils of victory for the successful negotiation team.

Học thuật

Noun

1. goods or money obtained illegally

Từ đồng nghĩa

• loot
• pillage
• plunder
• prize
• swag
• dirty money