ransack

From Middle English ransaken, from Old Norse rannsaka, from rann (“house”) + saka (“search”); probably influenced by sack

• Homophone: RANSAC

ransack (third-person singular simple present ransacks, present participle ransacking, simple past and past participle ransacked)

1. (transitive) To loot or pillage. See also sack.
   • William Shakespeare (c.1564–1616)

     Their vow is made / To ransack Troy.

2. (transitive) To make a vigorous and thorough search of (a place, person) with a view to stealing something, especially when leaving behind a state of disarray.

   to ransack a house for valuables

   • Robert South (1634–1716)

     to ransack every corner of their […] hearts

3. (archaic) To examine carefully; to investigate.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xiij, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:

     Thenne came there an olde monke whiche somtyme had ben a knyghte & behelde syre Melyas / And anone he ransakyd hym / & thenne he saide vnto syr Galahad I shal hele hym of this woūde by the grace of god within the terme of seuen wekes

4. To violate; to ravish; to deflower.
   • Edmund Spenser (c.1552–1599)

     Rich spoil of ransacked chastity.

ransack

1. Eager search.

• rackans