ban·dit / ˈbandit/ • n. (pl. ban·dits or ban·dit·ti / banˈditē/ ) a robber or outlaw belonging to a gang and typically operating in an isolated or lawless area: the bandit produced a weapon and demanded money. ∎ fig. a person notably proficient at something, esp. in contrast to or at the expense of a rival or opponent: he was no base-running bandit, but he got the job done. ∎ military slang an enemy aircraft.PHRASES: make out like a bandit profit greatly from an activity.DERIVATIVES: ban·dit·ry / -trē/ n.ORIGIN: late 16th cent.: from Italian bandito, literally ‘banned,’ past participle of bandire.

bandit XVI. Earliest forms bandetto, bandito; bandit from XVII. ult. — It. bandito, sb. use of pp. of bandire proclaim, proscribe.