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Webster's New World College Dictionary » reprisal
reprisal
reprisal definition
re·prisal (ri prī′zəl)
noun
- Historical the forcible seizure of property or subjects in retaliation for an injury inflicted by another country
- the act or practice of using force, short of war, against another nation to obtain redress of grievances
- injury done, or the doing of injury, in return for injury received; retaliation or an act of retaliation, specif. in war, as the killing of prisoners
Etymology: ME reprisail < MFr reprisaille < It rappresaglia < riprendere, to take back < L reprehendere: see reprehend
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