bootlegger
English edit
Etymology edit
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 edit
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 edit
Translations edit
illegal trader
|
one who breaks intellectual property law — see pirate
See also edit
French edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from English bootlegger.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bootlegger m (plural bootleggers, feminine bootleggeuse)
Further reading edit
- “bootlegger”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.