Search Result for "extortion": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (3)

1. an exorbitant charge;

2. unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority);
- Example: "the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty"

3. the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of violence);


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Extortion \Ex*tor"tion\, n. [F. extorsion.] 1. The act of extorting; the act or practice of wresting anything from a person by force, by threats, or by any undue exercise of power; undue exaction; overcharge. [1913 Webster] 2. (Law) The offense committed by an officer who corruptly claims and takes, as his fee, money, or other thing of value, that is not due, or more than is due, or before it is due. --Abbott. [1913 Webster] 3. That which is extorted or exacted by force. Syn: Oppression; rapacity; exaction; overcharge. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

extortion n 1: an exorbitant charge 2: unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority); "the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty" 3: the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of violence)
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

69 Moby Thesaurus words for "extortion": armed robbery, asportation, assault and robbery, badger game, banditry, bank robbery, blackmail, bloodsucking, call, call for, cattle lifting, cattle stealing, claim, contribution, demand, demand for, draft, drain, duty, exaction, exploitation, extortionate demand, heavy demand, heist, highway robbery, hijacking, holdup, imposition, impost, indent, insistent demand, levy, loan-sharking, mugging, nonnegotiable demand, notice, order, overassessment, overcharge, pocket picking, protection racket, purse snatching, rending, requirement, requisition, ripping, robbery, robbing, rush, rush order, shakedown, shylocking, stickup, stickup job, surcharge, tax, taxing, tearing, tribute, ultimatum, usury, vampirism, warning, wrench, wrenching, wrest, wresting, wring, wringing
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

EXTORTION, crimes. In a large sense it, signifies any oppression, under color of right: but in a more strict sense it means the unlawful taking by any officer, by color of his office, of any money or thing of value that is not due to him, or more than is due, or before it is due. 4 Bl. Com. 141; 1 Hawk. P. C. c. 68, s. 1; 1 Russ. Cr. *144. To constitute extortion, there must be the receipt of money or something of value; the taking a promissory note, which is void, is. not sufficient to make an extortion. 2 Mass. R. 523; see Bac. Ab. h.t.; Co. Litt. 168. It is extortion and oppression for an officer to take money for the performance of his duty, even though it be in the exercise of a discretionary power. 2 Burr. 927. It differs from exaction. (q.v.) See 6 Cowen, R. 661; 1 Caines, R. 130; 13 S. & R. 426 1 Yeates, 71; 1 South. 324; 3 Penna. R. 183; 7 Pick. 279; 1 Pick. 171.