What (who) is Despoil - definition
INDISCRIMINATE TAKING OF GOODS BY FORCE
Looter; Looters; Plunder; Pillage; Pillaging; War booty; Plundering; Rapine; Looted; Plunders; Despoil; Despoiled; Despoiling; Despoils; Despoiler; Pillagers; Pillages; War loot; Ransack; Spoils of victory; War looting; Booty (loot); Ransacking
![Duke of Alba]], 2 October 1572.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Spaanse Furie - De plundering van Mechelen door de hertog van Alba in 1572 (Frans Hogenberg).jpg?width=200 "Duke of Alba]], 2 October 1572.")
![The aftermath of the plundering of the village of [[Wommelgem]] in 1589. [[Eighty Years' War]], painting by [[Sebastiaen Vrancx]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Sebastiaan Vrancx (1573-1647) - De plundering van Wommelgem (1625-1630) - Düsseldorf Museum Kunstpalast 15-08-2012 15-08-12.JPG?width=200 "The aftermath of the plundering of the village of [[Wommelgem]] in 1589. [[Eighty Years' War]], painting by [[Sebastiaen Vrancx]]")
![mass unrest]] in the United States, 7 June 2020](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Saks Fifth Avenue Boarded Up During Black Lives Matter Protests New York City - 49984780162.jpg?width=200 "mass unrest]] in the United States, 7 June 2020")
![The [[Beit Ghazaleh]] Museum of Aleppo was looted of its contents prior to being hit by explosions (photo 2017)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Beit Ghazaleh Alep Dec 2017.jpg?width=200 "The [[Beit Ghazaleh]] Museum of Aleppo was looted of its contents prior to being hit by explosions (photo 2017)")
![Looters attempting to enter a cycle shop in North London during the [[2011 England riots]]](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/2011 London riots.jpg?width=200 "Looters attempting to enter a cycle shop in North London during the [[2011 England riots]]")
despoil
v. (formal) (D; tr.) to despoil of
despoil
(despoils, despoiling, despoiled)
To despoil a place means to make it less attractive, valuable, or important by taking things away from it or by destroying it. (FORMAL)
...people who despoil the countryside.
VERB: V n
despoil
v. a.
1.
Strip, denude, divest, deprive, bereave.
2.
Rob, plunder, pillage, ravage, devastate, rifle, fleece.
Wikipedia
Looting
Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. The proceeds of all these activities can be described as booty, loot, plunder, spoils, or pillage.
During modern-day armed conflicts, looting is prohibited by international law, and constitutes a war crime.
Pronunciation examples for Despoil
1. to despoil the planet
ted-talks_1948_StevenPinker_2012-320k
2. not just despoil them as it were.
Brian Glass _ Talks at Google
3. humans will inevitably despoil any common pool resource
ted-talks_216_HowardRheingold_2005-320k
4. which is: is it really true that humans will always despoil commons?
ted-talks_216_HowardRheingold_2005-320k
Examples of use of Despoil
1. Environmentalists have objected, saying doing so would despoil ecologically sensitive areas.
2. Urban sprawl will despoil the green Jerusalem Hills and deplete the inner city; urban renewal will lead to greater densification.
3. That means no more helping themselves to gold–plated pensions while they allow the Treasury to despoil everyone else‘s.
4. Often, it turns out, thieves are not discreet and love to relate how they despoil their stupid employer.
5. Farrakhan and, in effect, Wright, despoil the graves of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and, of course, their black colleague James Chaney.