commandeer
/ˌkɒmənˈdɪə
/verb [with object]
1Officially take possession or control of (something), especially for military purposes: a nearby house had been commandeered by the army...
- It reopened to the public… after it was commandeered two years ago for a US military base.
- Chandler and his control team were commandeering juggernauts to block off the dock piers one at a time.
- These laws already give police sweeping powers to take control of services and commandeer buildings and equipment.
Synonyms
seize, take, take possession of, take away, requisition, appropriate, expropriate, sequestrate, sequester, confiscate, annex, take over, claim, lay claim to, pre-empt, secure;
hijack, arrogate, arrogate to oneself, help oneself to, carry off, loot, grab
informal walk off with
Law distrain, attach, disseize;
Scottish Law poind
1.1Take possession of (something) by force: the truck was commandeered by a mob...
- So, after some plotting, the pair commandeer an ice cream truck and hit the road with granny chilling in the freezer.
- On January 8, 1880, a group of over 150 miners commandeered a train and forced the conductor to take them to Hawks Nest without pay.
- The second incident occurred on the same day when a vehicle was commandeered by a group of nine refugees who forced their way into the vehicle.
1.2 [with object and infinitive] Enlist (someone) to help in a task: he commandeered the men to find a table...
- But her enthusiastic account of the local food scene made such an impression on programme producer David Pritchard that he commandeered her for part of the film.
- But after I told Neil I had been a volunteer at the Commonwealth Games and done boxing reporting he immediately commandeered me to do more work.
- The limousine driver was exactly where we left him, and I commandeered him to drive us to my place.
Origin
Early 19th century: from Afrikaans kommandeer, from Dutch commanderen, from French commander 'to command' (see command).