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contraband

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Contraband is defined as goods that are against the law to trade or to be imported or exported, or goods that are smuggled or a slave during the Civil War who was behind the Union lines.

(noun)

An example of contraband are drugs being carried across country borders.
An example of contraband was a slave during the Civil War who was smuggled behind or who fled behind the Union lines.

The definition of contraband is not allowed to be imported or exported.

(adjective)

An example of contraband items are drugs.

See contraband in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

unlawful or prohibited trade
goods forbidden by law to be imported or exported; smuggled merchandise
contraband of war
☆ during the Civil War, a black slave who fled to, or was smuggled or found behind, the Union lines

Origin: Sp contrabanda, a smuggling < It contrabando < contra-, against + bando < ML bannum < Frank *ban, a command; akin to OE ban: see ban

adjective

forbidden by law to be imported or exported

See contraband in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Goods prohibited by law or treaty from being imported or exported.
a. Illegal traffic in contraband; smuggling.
b. Smuggled goods.
Goods that may be seized and confiscated by a belligerent if shipped to another belligerent by a neutral.
An escaped slave during the Civil War who fled to or was taken behind Union lines.

adjective

Prohibited from being imported or exported.

Origin:

Origin: Italian contrabbando

Origin: : contra-, against (from Latin contrā-; see contra-)

Origin: + bando, legal proclamation (from Late Latin bannus, of Germanic origin; see bhā-² in Indo-European roots)

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