bootleg

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈbutlɛɡ/ UK /ˈbuːtlɛɡ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
made, sold, or transported illegally, especially liquor or recordings

He sold bootleg copies of the concert outside the arena.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · made, sold, or transported... illicit illegal contrabandsmuggledpiratedblack-market

Opposites

legal licensed authorized legitimate

Word family

Derived forms bootleggerbootlegging

Related forms boot leg

Simplified etymology

Bootleg arose in the late 19th century from the practice of smugglers hiding bottles inside the long legs of their boots. The ultimate origin of boot itself is unknown.

Etymology

From the practice of concealing flasks of illicit liquor in the leg of a boot, especially during Prohibition. A compound of boot (Old English bōt via Old French bote) and leg (Old Norse leggr).

bote Old French leggr Old Norse

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# bootleg

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈbutlɛɡ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbuːtlɛɡ/

## Meanings
1. made, sold, or transported illegally, especially liquor or recordings

## Examples
- He sold bootleg copies of the concert outside the arena.

## Synonyms
- illicit
- illegal
- contraband
- smuggled
- pirated
- black-market

## Antonyms
- legal
- licensed
- authorized
- legitimate

## Derived Forms
- bootlegger
- bootlegging

## Related Forms
- boot
- leg

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bote
- Root: leggr

## Etymology
From the practice of concealing flasks of illicit liquor in the leg of a boot, especially during Prohibition. A compound of boot (Old English bōt via Old French bote) and leg (Old Norse leggr).

## AI Etymology
Bootleg comes from the practice of concealing flasks of illicit liquor in the leg of a boot, especially during Prohibition. A compound of boot (Old English bōt via Old French bote) and leg (Old Norse leggr). The historical trail runs through bote in Old French and leggr in Old Norse. Morphologically, bootleg is transparent: it draws on the practice of concealing flasks of illicit liquor in the leg of a boot, especially during Prohibition. Used as an adjective, noun, and verb, bootleg now means "made, sold, or transported illegally, especially liquor or recordings", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in derived forms such as bootlegger and bootlegging and related forms such as boot and leg. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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