1) Lay waste 1) Plunder, old style 2) Prey upon 
• (v. t.) To subject to plunder and pillage; to despoil; to lay waste; to prey upon. • (v. i.) To take plunder or prey; to commit waste; as, the troops depredated on the country.
Dep're·date transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Depredated ; present participle & verbal noun Depredating .] [ Latin depraedatus , past participle of depraedari to plunder; de- + praedari to plunde...