mid-15c., "act of carrying off (a woman) by force," especially for the purpose of rape, from Old French ravissement (14c.), from ravir "to seize, take away hastily" (see ravish).
Entries linking to ravishment
ravish v.
c. 1300, ravishen, "to seize (someone) by violence, carry away (a person, especially a woman)," from Old French raviss-, present-participle stem of ravir "to seize, take away hastily," from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere "to seize and carry off, carry away suddenly, hurry away" (see rapid). Since the earliest uses in English "sometimes implying subsequent violation" [OED]; the meaning transferred "commit rape upon" is recorded by mid-15c. In Middle English also "to plagiarize; to transport (someone) mentally into an ecstasy." Related: Ravished; ravishing.