n. [ It. contrabando; contra + bando ban, proclamation: cf. F. contrebande. See Ban an edict. ]
Persons the most bound in duty to prevent contraband, and the most interested in the seizures. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]
Contraband of war,
a. Prohibited or excluded by law or treaty; forbidden;
The contraband will always keep pace, in some measure, with the fair trade. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
The law severly contrabands
Our taking business of men's hands. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Traffic in contraband goods; smuggling. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who traffics illegally; a smuggler. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Mus.) The lowest stringed instrument of the violin family; the double bass; -- also applied to any instrument of the same deep range as the stringed double bass;
n. [ It. contrabasso. ] (Mus.) The largest kind of bass viol. See Violone. [ 1913 Webster ]