Raid
/reɪd/noun
A sudden surprise attack or a swift police search and seizure.
Did you know?The English word first appears in the 19th century, but it was borrowed through Scots from a Gaelic word for a journey or ride, showing how a simple travel word can harden into warfare.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reidh-
“to ride, travel”
Old English
OE
rīdan
“to ride”
Old Norse
ON
reið
“a ride, expedition”
Middle Scots
Scots
raid
“a ride, journey; a hostile incursion”
19th Century
English
raid
“a sudden hostile incursion or police search”