ˈbandə̇t, -aan-, usu -ə̇d.+V noun
( plural bandits -ə̇ts ; also bandit·ti ̷ ̷ˈdid.]ē, -it], ]i\ ; see sense 1 )
Etymology: Italian bandito, from past participle of bandire to banish, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German ban command, prohibition, probably influenced in form by a Germanic word akin to Gothic bandwa sign — more at ban , banner
1. plural often banditti : one who is outlawed : brigand — often used of a member of one of the marauding bands in the mountainous districts of the Mediterranean lands
2. plural bandits : one who steals, profiteers, or kills especially in a shameless, inglorious, or pitiless manner : gangster
bandit killings
a theater held up by masked bandits
the war against the Communist bandits — Amry Vandenbosch
3. plural bandits , slang : one who takes unfair advantage over others usually to procure inordinate payment or profit
the taxi bandits who tie up traffic — Bennett Cerf
4. plural bandits : an enemy plane — used in the armed forces in the identification and recognition of aircraft
a bandit approaching at 15,000 feet