CONTRABAND

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does contraband mean? 

• CONTRABAND (noun)
  The noun CONTRABAND has 1 sense:

1. goods whose importation or exportation or possession is prohibited by law

  Familiarity information: CONTRABAND used as a noun is very rare.

• CONTRABAND (adjective)
  The adjective CONTRABAND has 1 sense:

1. distributed or sold illicitly

  Familiarity information: CONTRABAND used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONTRABAND (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Goods whose importation or exportation or possession is prohibited by law

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("contraband" is a kind of...):

merchandise; product; ware (commodities offered for sale)

Derivation:

contraband (distributed or sold illicitly)

contrabandist (someone who imports or exports without paying duties)

• CONTRABAND (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distributed or sold illicitly

Synonyms:

black; black-market; bootleg; contraband; smuggled

Context example:

the black economy pays no taxes

Similar:

illegal (prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules)

Derivation:

contraband (goods whose importation or exportation or possession is prohibited by law)

 Context examples 

If this research holds up, we could see a future in which dogs are sniffing out diseases, as well as drugs and contraband all over the world.

(The Dog's Nose Knows Malaria, Kevin Enochs/VOA)

Now Mr. Davis had declared limes a contraband article, and solemnly vowed to publicly ferrule the first person who was found breaking the law.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Lead investigator Steve Lindsay says he got the idea for training dogs to sniff out malaria after a visit overseas, when he saw dogs sniffing for all kinds of contraband.

(The Dog's Nose Knows Malaria, Kevin Enochs/VOA)