bootlegger
English
Etymology
From bootleg + -er. Originally a nickname given to smugglers in King George III's reign, derived from the smugglers' custom of hiding packages of valuables in the legs of their large sea-boots when dodging the king's coastguardsmen.
Noun
bootlegger (plural bootleggers)
- An illegal trader of goods, especially of alcohol.
- One who breaks intellectual property laws by reproducing protected works without permission; a pirate.
Derived terms
Translations
illegal trader
|
one who breaks intellectual property law — see pirate
See also
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English bootlegger.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bu.tlɛ.ɡœʁ/, /bu.tle.ɡœʁ/
Audio (Toulouse, France): (file)
Further reading
- “bootlegger”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
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