porch pirate

American  

[pawrch pahy-ruht] / ˈpɔrtʃ ˌpaɪ rət /

noun

Slang.

1. a thief who takes packages left outside doors by couriers.

   In some communities, police are baiting packages with tracking devices to capture and deter porch pirates.

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Usage

What does porch pirate mean? A porch pirate is a thief who steals packages delivered to front doorsteps or porches. They especially strike during the holiday season, when people order many gifts online for home delivery.

Other Word Forms

• porch piracy noun

Etymology

Origin of porch pirate

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

In our quest to catch the neighborhood porch pirate, we’ve inadvertently built a dragnet that catches much more.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sparky and Lopez’s second dog, a golden retriever named Blazer, both went missing Dec. 3 shortly after the porch pirate was captured on a Ring camera leaving the yard with the gate wide open.

From Los Angeles Times

Such incidents have rattled homeowners, many of whom participate in the neighborhood-watch-style WhatsApp group that Stern messaged, where they trade information about porch pirates, solicitors and people they deem suspicious.

From The Wall Street Journal

As consumers are preparing to make their purchases, scammers and porch pirates are at the ready to exploit this holiday shopping event.

From Los Angeles Times

In the past year, porch pirates have stolen approximately $12 billion worth of packages, according to Security.org.

From Los Angeles Times