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sab·o·tage

(săbə-täzh′)

1. The deliberate destruction of property or obstruction of normal operations, as by civilians or enemy agents in a time of war.

2. The deliberate attempt to damage, destroy, or hinder a cause or activity.

tr.v. sab·o·taged, sab·o·tag·ing, sab·o·tag·es

To damage, destroy, or hinder (something) by sabotage.

[French, from saboter, to walk noisily, bungle, sabotage, from sabot, sabot; see SABOT.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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