loot

/ˈlüt/

Hindi & Urdu lūṭ; akin to Sanskrit luṇṭati he plunders

noun

  1. goods usually of considerable value taken in war : spoils

  2. something held to resemble goods of value seized in war: such as

  3. something appropriated illegally often by force or violence

The soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find.

spoil plunder booty prize loot mean something taken from another by force or craft. spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest. plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

verb

  1. to plunder or sack in war

  2. to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption

  3. to seize and carry away by force especially in war