Bootlegger

//ˈbuːtlɛɡə(ɹ)// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone who bootlegs.; One who is illegally a producer and/or trader of goods, especially of alcohol.
  2. 2
    someone who makes or sells illegal liquor wordnet
  3. 3
    Someone who bootlegs.; One who breaks intellectual property laws by reproducing protected works without permission.
  4. 4
    Someone who bootlegs.; A miner who mines illegally.

Synonyms

All synonyms
barkeepbarkeeperbarmaidbarmanbartenderblack marketeer

Example

More examples

"Big overcoats and high boots suddenly became fashionable because they could easily conceal flasks, giving birth to the term “bootlegger.”"

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.

Related phrases

bootlegger reverse

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.