I. raid 1 /reɪd/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Scottish English ; Origin: Old English rad 'ride, raid' ; ⇨ ↑ road ]
1 . a short attack on a place by soldiers, planes, or ships, intended to cause damage but not take control:
a bombing raid
an air raid warning siren
raid on/against
The colonel led a successful raid against a rebel base.
launch/carry out/stage a raid
The army launched several cross-border raids last night.
⇨ ↑ air raid
2 . a surprise visit made to a place by the police to search for something illegal:
a police raid
an FBI raid
raid on
Four people were arrested during a raid on a house in London.
a dawn raid (=one made very early in the morning)
3 . an attack by criminals on a building where they believe they can steal money or drugs:
a bank raid
raid on
an armed raid on a shop in Glasgow
⇨ ↑ ram-raiding
4 . technical an attempt by a company to buy enough ↑ share s in another company to take control of it
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ make a raid
Pirates often made daring raids on the port.
▪ carry out a raid (=make a raid)
They were encouraged by the French king to carry out raids upon English ships.
▪ launch a raid (=start a raid)
Rebel forces launched cross-border raids.
▪ take part in a raid
They took part in various raids, including the bombing of Cologne in 1942.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + raid
▪ an air raid (=when bombs are dropped from planes)
His parents were killed in an air raid.
▪ a bombing raid
Bombing raids had destroyed most of the country's oil refineries.
▪ a commando raid (=a raid by specially trained soldiers)
There had been two unsuccessful British commando raids.
▪ a guerrilla raid (=a raid by a small unofficial military group)
From their base in the rainforest they staged guerilla raids on Nicaragua.
▪ a night raid (=an attack that takes place at night)
The night raids were almost non-stop.
▪ a cross-border raid (=across a border between two countries)
Cross-border raids into Kenya last year caused a serious diplomatic conflict.
II. raid 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . if police raid a place, they make a surprise visit to search for something illegal:
Police found weapons when they raided his home.
2 . to make a sudden military attack on a place:
air bases on the mainland from which the island could be raided
raiding party (=a group taking part in an attack)
3 . to go into a place and steal things:
The gang raided three homes in the area.
4 . to go to a place that has supplies of food or drink and take some because you are hungry:
Peter went into the kitchen to raid the fridge.