Meaning & use
Bootleg
Last updated
Made, distributed, or sold illegally or without authorization, especially referring to alcohol, recordings, or copies.
See it in a sentence
He was arrested for selling bootleg copies of the new film.
Collectors prize certain bootleg concert recordings for their raw sound.
A note on using this word
The term dates to U.S. Prohibition, when smugglers hid bottles of illegal liquor inside the legs of their boots.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
An illegally made or distributed product, especially a recording.
A rare bootleg of the band's early live show circulated among fans.
3. verb
To produce or sell something illegally.
Smugglers bootlegged whiskey across the state line.
Make it your own
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