pirate
[ pahy-ruht ]
/ ˈpaɪ rət /
noun
verb (used with object), pi·rat·ed, pi·rat·ing.
verb (used without object), pi·rat·ed, pi·rat·ing.
to commit or practice piracy.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
pirandello, piranesi, piranha, pirapóra, pirarucu, pirate, pirate coast, pirate perch, pirates of penzance, pire, piri-piri
Origin of pirate
1250–1300; Middle English < Latin pīrāta < Greek peirātḗs, equivalent to peirā-, variant stem of peirân to attack + -tēs agent noun suffix
SYNONYMS FOR pirate
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for piratical
British Dictionary definitions for piratical
pirate
/ (ˈpaɪrɪt) /
noun
a person who commits piracy
- a vessel used by pirates
- (as modifier)a pirate ship
a person who illicitly uses or appropriates someone else's literary, artistic, or other work
- a person or group of people who broadcast illegally
- (as modifier)a pirate radio station
verb
(tr) to use, appropriate, or reproduce (artistic work, ideas, etc) illicitly
Derived Forms
piratical (paɪˈrætɪkəl) or piratic, adjectivepiratically, adverbWord Origin for pirate
C15: from Latin pīrāta, from Greek peirātēs one who attacks, from peira an attempt, attack
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012