contraband

English

Etymology

From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/
- Audio (RP) (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑn.tɹəˌbænd/

Noun

contraband (usually uncountable, plural contrabands)

(uncountable) Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess.
(uncountable) Goods which are prohibited from being traded, smuggled goods.
(countable, US, historical) A black slave during the American Civil War who had escaped to, or been captured by, Union forces.
- 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford 2003, p. 497:
  While some Yanks treated contrabands with a degree of equity or benevolence, the more typical response was indifference, contempt, or cruelty.

Derived terms

contraband of war

Translations

goods which are prohibited from being traded, smuggled goods

Arabic: تَهْرِيب‎ m (tahrīb)
Azerbaijani: qaçaqmal
Bulgarian: контраба́нда f (kontrabánda)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 禁品 (zh) (jìnpǐn), 違禁品／违禁品 (zh) (wéijìnpǐn)
Czech: kontraband m
Finnish: salakuljetustavara (fi)
French: contrebande (fr) f
Galician: contrabando m
German: Schmuggelware (de) f, Kontrebande f
Greek: κοντραμπάντο (el) n (kontrampánto) (indeclinable), λαθρεμπόριο (el) n (lathrempório)
Hungarian: csempészáru (hu)
Ido: kontrabando (io)
Italian: contrabbando (it) m
Japanese: 禁制品 (ja) (きんせいひん, kinseihin), 密売品 (みつばいひん, mitsubaihin)
Latvian: kontrabanda f
Maori: parakete
Persian: قاچاق‎ (fa) (qâčâq)
Plautdietsch: Schlikjhaundel m
Portuguese: contrabando (pt) m
Russian: контраба́нда (ru) f (kontrabánda)
Spanish: contrabando (es) m
Swedish: kontraband (sv) n

Adjective

contraband (comparative more contraband, superlative most contraband)

Prohibited from being traded.
- 1940, The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America: Having ... – Division of the Federal Register, the National Archives – Page 2191
  "[...] when the seizure is made in connection with a violation involving a contraband article covered by section 1 (b) (1) of the said Act; [...]"
- 1953, United States, United States. President, United States. Congress – United States Code Congressional and Administrative News – Page 2039
  "The exclusion of mandatory payment of moieties for seizures of contraband controlled substances is accomplished through Section 17 of the bill, [...]"
- 1899, Albert William Chaster, The Powers, Duties and Liabilities of Executive Officers as Between These ... – Stevens and Haynes – Page 55
  "4. Contraband goods may be seized if found in a river before they are landed or offered for sale."

Verb

contraband (third-person singular simple present contrabands, present participle contrabanding, simple past and past participle contrabanded)

(obsolete) To import illegally; to smuggle.
- 1615, George Sandys, “The Second Booke”, in The Relation of a Iourney Begun An: Dom: 1610. […], London: […] [Richard Field] for W. Barrett, OCLC 25923553, page 87:
  there are also searched for concealed Slaves, and goods contrabanded
(obsolete) To declare prohibited; to forbid.
- 1662, [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge: University Press, 1905, OCLC 963614346:
  The law severely contrabands / Our taking business off men's hands.

Translations

To import illegally

Portuguese: contrabandear (pt) m