bootleg

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Verb

bootleg (third-person singular simple present bootlegs, present participle bootlegging, simple past and past participle bootlegged)

1. (chiefly US, transitive) To make, transport and/or sell illegal alcoholic liquor.
2. (transitive) To make, transport and/or sell an illegal version or copy of a copyrighted product.
3. (intransitive) To engage in bootlegging.

Derived terms

• bootleg ground
• bootlegger
• bootlegging

Translations

to make, transport and/or sell illegal alcoholic liquor

• Finnish: trokata (fi)
• German: schwarz brennen, schmuggeln (de)

to make, transport and/or sell an illegal version or copy of a copyright product

• German: raubkopieren, schwarz herstellen
• Portuguese: piratear (pt)

to engage in bootlegging

Noun

bootleg (plural bootlegs)

1. The part of a boot that is above the instep.
2. An illegally produced, transported or sold product; contraband.
3. (music) An unauthorized recording, e.g., of a live concert.
4. (music) A remix or mashup that is a combination of two songs but that is not authorized and audited for copyright use; primarily in the electronic music scene.
5. (American football) A play in which the quarterback fakes a handoff, conceals the ball against his hip, and rolls out.

Translations

that part of a boot that is above the instep

• Armenian: ճիտք (hy) (čitkʻ)
• German: Stiefelschaft (de) m
• Polish: cholewa (pl) f, cholewka f
• Portuguese: cano (pt) m
• Russian: голени́ще (ru) n (goleníšče)

an illegally produced, transported or sold product; contraband

• Catalan: contraban
• Finnish: piraattituote
• German: Kontrabande f, Raubgut n, Schmuggelware (de) f
• Hungarian: csempészáru (hu), zugáru
• Irish: cóip bhradach f, cóip mhídhleathach f, taifeadadh bradach m, taifeadadh mídhleathach m
• Japanese: 海賊版 (ja) (kaizokuban)
• Portuguese: contrabando (pt)

Adjective

bootleg (not comparable)

1. Illegally produced, transported or sold; pirated.

Derived terms

• bootleg mining

Translations

illegally produced, transported or sold

• Finnish: piraatti-, laiton (fi)
• French: non-officiel
• Hungarian: csempész- (hu), zug- (hu), kalóz- (hu)
• Indonesian: bajakan (id)
• Irish: bradach, mídhleathach
• Portuguese: pirata (pt)

See also

• bathtub gin
• moonshine