落草為寇

落草为寇
luòcǎowéikòu
(idiom) to take to the woods to become an outlaw

CEDICT

to become a bandit in the mountains and woods

Wiktionary

淪落草野為盜匪。《大宋宣和遺事．元集》：「等待楊志過來，將防送軍人殺了，同往太行山落草為寇去也。」也作「落草為盜」。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 落草 luòcǎo
  1. to take to the woods to become an outlaw
  2. (dialect) to be born (Etymology: in former times, a bed of straw or grass was used as padding during childbirth)
2 為 wéi
  1. as (in the capacity of)
  2. to take sth as
  3. to act as
  4. to serve as
  5. to behave as
  6. to become
  7. to be
  8. to do
  9. by (in the passive voice)
=3 寇 kòu old variant of 寇 kòu
=3 寇 kòu old variant of 寇 kòu
=3 寇 kòu
  1. to invade
  2. to plunder
  3. bandit
  4. foe
  5. enemy

Related entries

落草 luòcǎo
  1. to take to the woods to become an outlaw
  2. (dialect) to be born (Etymology: in former times, a bed of straw or grass was used as padding during childbirth)