marauder

noun

ma·​raud·​er mə-ˈrȯ-dər How to pronounce marauder (audio)
plural marauders
: one who roams from place to place making attacks and raids in search of plunder : one that marauds
Residents … are literally up in arms over seven robberies by hooded, armed men who have broken into homes to terrorize and plunder. Politicos and a legion of border lawmen are clamoring to stop the marauders.Jill Mastrull
'You neglect your duties as a father,' she complained. 'What if a Norman marauder had come in the night and snatched me away? … 'Tom Harper
In 1653, another Hollander, Peter Stuyvesant, built a river-to-river wooden wall to ward off marauders.Abby Rand
The brushtail possum is a relentless marauder that invaded New Zealand from Australia. Listed among the world's 100 most-invasive species, it is one of New Zealand's worst pests.John Pickrell

Examples of marauder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This attack may have been more than an incursion by marauders looking for food or goods. Andrew Lawler, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2010 In other words, margins narrowed more because of faulty buying decisions made internally than from thefts committed by workers or marauders. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 In Schutz’s painting, the temporary fence between us, the viewers, and the painting’s middle-aged marauders and nut jobs — one of whom has a belt of explosives strapped to his body and another of whom kneels to pray — is broken. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023 Inspired by both role playing games and tabletop pets, the family-skewing project follows a herd of meowing marauders, banished from their cat kingdom and searching for the treasure that will grant them safe passage back. Ben Croll, Variety, 19 Sep. 2023 Over centuries, the outer walls had fallen and the main hall had softened into a stone residence flanked by two low barns and bordered by narrow, grassy moats, dug long ago to keep a handful of people safe against marauders seeking—what?, Jacob Jiang wondered on the day of his arrival. Lan Samantha Chang, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023 The introduction of the episode’s hapless pirate crew also helps flesh out Venture’s villain hierarchy, as these rubber-mask marauders clearly don’t rank alongside the archenemies introduced in earlier episodes like The Monarch and Baron Ünderbheit. Mat Olson, Vulture, 19 July 2023 While both the Coconino and Pinal sheriff's offices told The Arizona Republic that there have been no issues with marauders or looters during past wildfire evacuations, there are measures homeowners can take to ease their minds when fleeing. The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2023 Traveling by foot bearing just a revolver with two rounds for protection, the stoic pair endure the ravages of nature while fending off marauders and cannibals in their desperate bid to stay alive. Lucas Wittmann, Time, 13 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marauder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marauder was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near marauder

Cite this Entry

“Marauder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marauder. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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