Final answer:
A raider or plunderer refers to one who engages in attacks and theft in settlements, with historically notorious examples being Vikings and bandits. The law not only targeted these individuals but also those providing them refuge, emphasizing the severity of their actions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term raider or plunderer is generally associated with individuals or groups that attack and rob settlements or communities. Throughout history, various raiders have been known for their violent incursions, such as Vikings, who ranged from the Middle East to France with different regional names like pagani or Northmen.
Bandits, on the other hand, often required local support to continue their activities, which led to the authorities not only targeting the bandits themselves but also those who harbored them, seeing them as equally culpable.
In historical records like the Digest, governors were instructed to search and punish not only bandits but also those who protected them. Examples of such individuals included runaway slaves, who were forced into banditry as a means of survival after escaping their conditions.
Altogether, these looters, pirates, and such, were both feared and despised by the communities they preyed upon because of the disruption and suffering they caused.The subject of this question is English. The word being defined is a noun that refers to a raider or plunderer.
Synonyms for this word include looter and pirate. In literature and history, we often encounter characters who engage in looting and pirate activities, such as Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island,' or Blackbeard, a notorious pirate in the 18th century.