vandale

vandal

noun vahn-DAL Rare

Origin: Vandals, Germanic tribe that sacked Rome (455 AD)

Usage Note

Vandale derives from the name of the Germanic tribe known for destroying Roman cultural artefacts. In modern French it refers to someone who wilfully damages public or private property. The related noun vandalisme is widely used in news reporting. It is gender-variable: un vandale, une vandale.

Examples

"Des vandales ont tagué les murs du métro."

Natural Translation

Vandals tagged the walls of the metro.

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