bootleg
To engage in bootleggingTo engage in bootlegging.
» Tom got arrested for bootlegging.
Meaning
4 senses(ambitransitive)To engage in bootlegging.
To engage in bootlegging.
(US, ambitransitive)To make, transport and/or sell illegal alcoholic liquor.
In the 1930s, Grandpa used to bootleg to make ends meet.
In the 1930s, Grandpa used to bootleg whiskey from a still hidden in the backwoods.
schwarz brennen, schmuggeln
(ambitransitive)To make, transport and/or sell an illegal version or copy of a copyrighted product.
In the 1990s, Grandpa used to bootleg under some sort of Robin-Hood-esque notion.
In the 1990s, Grandpa used to bootleg Windows CD-ROMs.
raubkopieren, schwarz herstellen
(US, ambitransitive)To operate a mine illicitly.
In the 1930s, Grandpa used to bootleg to make ends meet.
In the 1930s, Grandpa used to bootleg coal from a shaft hidden in the backwoods.
- produce or distribute illegally
- sell illicit products such as drugs or alcohol
Examples
4 sentencesTom got arrested for bootlegging.
I just got some new bootleg tapes.
That's a bootleg cartridge.
The number of criminals involved in bootlegging outnumbered the federal agents who tried to enforce the law.
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 2
Origin
From boot + leg. Originally a nickname given to smugglers in King George III's reign, deriFrom boot + leg. Originally a nickname given to smugglers in King George III's reign, derived from the smugglers' custom of hiding packages of valuables in their large sea-boots when dodging the king's coastguardsmen.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
bootlegs, bootlegging, bootlegged, bootlegged| Base form | bootleg · to bootleg |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | bootlegs |
| Present participle | bootlegging |
| Past simple | bootlegged |
| Past participle | bootlegged |
irregular
Word family
7 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle