contraband

/ˈkɒntrəbænd/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɑntrəbˌænd] /ˈkɑːntrəbænd/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɑntrəbˌænd] /ˈkän-trə-ˌband/ (ame, mw)

contraband — noun

1. items that are secretly brought across a country's border against customs or tra

1.名詞B2
釋義

items that are secretly brought across a country's border against customs or trade laws

例句

Customs officers found contraband hidden inside the truck's false floor.

collocation: contraband hidden in [place]

Diego served two years in prison for smuggling contraband across the border.

smuggling contraband across [border]

同義詞
  • smuggled goods

    more descriptive and everyday; contraband is the legal term

  • illicit goods

    broader — covers anything illegal to possess, not just cross-border smuggling

  • black-market goods

    emphasises illegal sale rather than the act of smuggling across borders

反義詞
  • legal imports

    goods that have passed through customs and meet all trade regulations

用法筆記

Uncountable noun — you say 'contraband was seized,' never 'a contraband.' To refer to individual items, use 'piece of contraband' or 'contraband items.'

常見錯誤

❌The police found several contrabands in the van.
✅The police found several pieces of contraband in the van.
💡'contraband' is uncountable; you cannot make it plural.