bootleg
bootleg Lexical Profile
bootleg Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Made, distributed, or sold illegally, especially without official authorization or copyright permission.
"The street vendor was caught selling bootleg copies of movies that were still in theaters."
• noun
An unauthorized or illegally produced recording, software program, or consumer good.
"The avid collector spent years tracking down a rare concert bootleg from the band's 1975 tour."
Alcoholic liquor that is unlawfully made, distilled, or transported.
"During the Prohibition era, hidden speakeasies relied on a steady supply of local bootleg."
North American An offensive play in American football in which the quarterback fakes a handoff and runs with the ball hidden near the hip.
"The quarterback executed a textbook bootleg around the right end for a touchdown."
The upper portion of a boot that covers the leg.
"The rider tucked his trousers neatly inside the stiff leather bootlegs before mounting the horse."
• verb
To manufacture, record, distribute, or sell (goods, especially alcohol or recordings) illegally.
"Authorities arrested the ring of smugglers who had tried to bootleg untaxed spirits across the border."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in 19th-century American slang, the term derives from the frontier practice of concealing flasks of illicit liquor inside the tall shaft of a cowboy's or smuggler's boot.