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Today it means

loot

goods stolen or taken by force, or the act of stealing such goods

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Where does the word "loot" come from? It comes from Hindi lut, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "loot" come from? It comes from Hindi lut, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).

Loot’s story begins in Hindi: lut meant “plunder, stolen goods.” Meaning "to rob" or "plunder", from Sanskrit "lotra". It reached English by 1700s-1800s as loot. Hindi 'lūṭ', plunder; the looting after the 1857 siege of Delhi and Lucknow spread the word. Today, loot means goods stolen or taken by force, or the act of stealing such goods.

  1. Stage 1 · Hindi · medieval lut "plunder, stolen goods", meaning "to rob" or "plunder", from Sanskrit "lotra".
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s-1800s loot "goods stolen or plundered", Hindi 'lūṭ', plunder; the looting after the 1857 siege of Delhi and Lucknow spread the word.

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