Depredate

Pronunciation: /ˈdɛprəˌdeɪt/

Definitions of depredate

verb to plunder or destroy, often in a predatory manner

Example Sentences

A1 The fox depredate the henhouse, stealing all the chickens.

A2 The pirates depredate the coastal villages, taking whatever they can find.

B1 The invasive species depredate the local ecosystem, causing harm to native plants and animals.

B2 The poachers depredate the wildlife reserve, hunting endangered species for profit.

C1 The warlords depredate the region, plundering resources and terrorizing the population.

C2 The corrupt government officials depredate the country, embezzling public funds and exploiting the citizens.

Examples of depredate in a Sentence

formal The invasive species began to depredate the local ecosystem.

informal The raccoons have been depredate our trash cans every night.

slang Those vandals are always trying to depredate the park.

figurative The corrupt officials depredate the country's resources for their own gain.

Grammatical Forms of depredate

• past tense: depredated
• plural: depredates
• comparative: more depredate
• superlative: most depredate
• present tense: depredates
• future tense: will depredate
• perfect tense: has depredated
• continuous tense: is deprecating
• singular: depredates
• positive degree: depredate
• infinitive: depredate
• gerund: depredating
• participle: depredated

Origin and Evolution of depredate

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'depredate' originated from the Latin word 'deprædāt-' which means to plunder or rob.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'depredate' has retained its original meaning of plundering or robbing, but it is now also used in a more general sense to mean to prey upon or exploit.