An example of ransack is thieves quickly searching through a house for valuables.
- to search thoroughly; examine every part of in searching
- to search through for plunder; pillage; rob
Origin of ransackMiddle English ransaken ; from Old Norse rannsaka ; from rann, house (akin to Old English ærn, Gothic razn ; from Indo-European base an unverified form (e)re-, to rest) + -saka ; from sœkja, to seek
transitive verbran·sacked, ran·sack·ing, ran·sacks
- To search through (something) thoroughly and often roughly: ransacked the drawer looking for my keys.
- To go through (a place) stealing valuables and causing disarray; pillage: ransacked the village.
Origin of ransackMiddle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka : rann, house + *saka, to search, seek; see sag- in Indo-European roots.
(third-person singular simple present ransacks, present participle ransacking, simple past and past participle ransacked)