Asportation

Asportation is a noun that refers to the illegal carrying away of property.  The Latin word asportare (as poor TAR ay) means ‘to carry away.’ Our word of the day is related to other kinds of carrying like transportation or deportation. It’s been with us since the late 15th century. Here’s an example: The sudden asportation of my lunch from the office deeply annoyed me. It’s one thing to grab a napkin or two from the break room. But carrying away a whole sandwich and side order of fries is just unforgivable.