the.com/looter
Someone who steals goods amid chaos, such as a riot, war, or disaster.
means Someone who steals goods during a riot, war, or disaster, usually under cover of chaos.
from From 'loot,' borrowed in the late 1700s from Hindi 'lūṭ,' meaning plunder or stolen goods — itself traced back to Sanskrit 'loptra/lotra.' British soldiers and administrators in colonial India picked up the word and carried it home, where it quickly widened from 'stolen goods' to 'the act of stealing them,' and 'looter' followed soon after as the agent noun for whoever did the taking.
- legal term
- theft during disaster or disorder, same penalties apply
- timing
- strikes fastest in first 24 hours of chaos
- irony
- often steals TVs with no electricity to run them
- history
- word traces to Hindi loot, meaning plunder