pirate

[pahy-ruht]

noun

1. a person who robs or commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores of the sea.

   Synonyms: plunderer, corsair, buccaneer, freebooter

2. a ship used by such persons.

3. any plunderer, predator, etc..

   confidence men, slumlords, and other pirates.

4. a person who uses or reproduces the work or invention of another without authorization.

5. Also called pirate stream. Geology.,  a stream that diverts into its own flow the headwaters of another stream, river, etc.

verb (used with object)

pirated, pirating 

1. to commit piracy upon; plunder; rob.

2. to take by piracy.

   to pirate gold.

3. to use or reproduce (a book, an invention, etc.) without authorization or legal right.

   to pirate hit records.

4. to take or entice away for one's own use.

   Our competitor is trying to pirate our best salesman.

verb (used without object)

pirated, pirating 

1. to commit or practice piracy.

pirate

/ ˈpaɪrɪt, paɪˈrætɪkəl /

noun

1. a person who commits piracy

2. 1. a vessel used by pirates

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pirate ship

3. a person who illicitly uses or appropriates someone else's literary, artistic, or other work

4. 1. a person or group of people who broadcast illegally

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pirate radio station

verb

1. (tr) to use, appropriate, or reproduce (artistic work, ideas, etc) illicitly

Other Word Forms

• piratelike adjective
• piratical adjective
• piratic adjective
• piratically adverb
• unpirated adjective
• unpiratical adjective
• unpiratically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of pirate¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Latin pīrāta < Greek peirātḗs, equivalent to peirā- , variant stem of peirân to attack + -tēs agent noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of pirate¹

C15: from Latin pīrāta, from Greek peirātēs one who attacks, from peira an attempt, attack

Example Sentences

Private security firm Ambrey said the attackers were probably Somali pirates, who have been active in the region in recent days.

Read more on BBC

The dock collapses when the river floods, and pirate attacks have become common as drug traffickers push deeper into the Amazon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Atencio, according to the book, immersed himself in films like Disney’s own “Treasure Island” and pop-cultural interpretations of pirates, striving for something that felt borderline caricature rather than ripped from the history books.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“In America, rock stars pick one of two routes: pirate or cowboy,” Yungblud says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Numerous Presidents have used force without Congressional approval going back to Thomas Jefferson against the Barbary pirates.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• raider