Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: molester, from Latin molestare, from molestus 'heavy, annoying', from moles 'mass'

molest

 verb
     
mo‧lest [transitive]
1 to attack or harm someone, especially a child, by touching them in a sexual way or by trying to have sex with them [= abuse]:
men who molest young boys
2 old-fashioned to attack and physically harm someone:
a dog that was molesting sheep
—molester noun [countable]
—molestation noun [uncountable]
sexual molestation
➔ child molester
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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