Searching roughly and messily through a place, often stealing things or damaging property in the process.
From Middle Dutch ransel or ranseken, possibly related to Old Norse ranzask meaning to search or plunder. The word entered English in the 16th century and originally meant to search thoroughly, but evolved to imply violent or destructive searching.
Vikings and medieval traders used this word, and it still carries that rough, destructive energy—when you ransack something, you're not gently looking, you're tearing through it like you're expecting treasure worth the mess.
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