depredation
pronunciation
How to pronounce depredation in British English:
UK [ˌdeprəˈdeɪʃn]
How to pronounce depredation in American English:
US [ˌdɛprɪˈdeʃən]
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- Noun:
- an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding
- (usually plural) a destructive action
Word Origin
- depredation
- depredation: see prey
- depredation (n.)
- late 15c., from Middle French déprédation, from Late Latin depraedationem (nominative depraedatio) "a plundering," from past participle stem of Latin depraedari "to pillage," from de- "thoroughly" (see de-) + praedari "to plunder," literally "to make prey of," from praeda "prey" (see prey (n.)).
Example
- 1. We claim that the pollution and depredation to leave forever .
- 2. Brutal acts of depredation are not uncommon .
- 3. Aster was calculating on three days of depredation and one day to escape .
- 4. It 's a fascinating mix of wild ideas threatening to run away from the author , and a new realism that takes in poverty , social depredation and very human cruelties .
- 5. Even so , they might not be so vulnerable to human depredation if they did not , like humans , reproduce so slowly .