brigand

American  

[brig-uhnd] / ˈbrɪg ənd /

noun

1. a bandit, especially one of a band of robbers in mountain or forest regions.

   Synonyms:

   cutthroat, desperado, highwayman, outlaw

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brigand British  

/ ˈbrɪɡənd /

noun

1. a bandit or plunderer, esp a member of a gang operating in mountainous areas

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Other Word Forms

• brigandage noun
• brigandish adjective
• brigandishly adverb

Etymology

Origin of brigand

1350–1400; variant of Middle English briga ( u ) nt < Middle French brigand < Old Italian brigante companion, member of an armed company, equivalent to brig ( are ) to treat, deal (with), make war (derivative of briga trouble, strife; of uncertain origin) + -ante -ant

Explanation

A brigand is a bad guy, especially one who belongs to a band of armed robbers. Railway travel used to be dangerous in the days when brigands frequently robbed passing trains. In the earliest years of the United States, travelers to the most sparsely inhabited parts of the country were vulnerable to highway robbers and brigands, groups of armed thieves who would stop stagecoaches and steal from those inside. The earliest kind of brigand wasn't an outlaw, however — he was a foot soldier in a legitimate army, from the Italian brigante, "trooper, skirmisher, or foot soldier." Brigand shares a root with brigade.

Example Sentences

What links Robert’s brigand tableau to most of the work around it is its landscape setting.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2013

But you don't have to be an anarchist or a brigand to sense the power shift.

From Slate • Apr. 5, 2011

Proclaiming that every scurvy brigand is at heart just a Broadway gypsy between shows, it's the score's main example of roistering wit.

From Time • Dec. 1, 2010

She had been collected by some brigand or another for a friend of mine, who said she couldn't have her in the house.

From The Guardian • Oct. 3, 2010

“I’m not a brigand or a devil. I’m a Benedictine brother. A monk.”

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz