Etymology

ratissage

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Today it means: A raid (especially violent) carried out by the police or military, originally and chiefly carried out by the French in Algeria. and, prior to that, by the Milice (Vichy Government counter-terror police) in 1943-44. Full definition →

First used 1950sFrench ratissage
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The story

  1. French · derived fromratissage
  2. English todayratissage

From French ratissage, from ratisser (“to rake”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1950s A raid (especially violent) carried out by the police or military, originally and chiefly carried out by the French in Algeria. and, prior to that, by the Milice (Vichy Government counter-terror police) in 1943-44.
  • from 1950s A monetary device whereby national reserves are temporarily given up to a central bank.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.