pirate
pirate
noun
/ˈpaɪrət/
1 (especially in the past) a person on a ship who attacks other ships at sea in order to steal from them
There were reports that a pirate ship had come looking for treasure in the cove.
TOPICS Transport by water C1
2 (often used as an adjective) a person who makes illegal copies of books, computer programs, etc., in order to sell them
a pirate edition
software pirates
3 (often used as an adjective) a person or an organization that broadcasts illegally
a pirate radio station
TOPICS Crime and punishment C1
SEE ALSO piracy
pirate
verb (pirates, pirated, pirated, pirating)
/ˈpaɪrət/
​pirate something to copy and use or sell somebody’s work or a product without permission and without having the right to do so
pirated computer games
Jones was accused of having pirated the scientist’s work.
TOPICS Computers C1
TOPICS Crime and punishment C1
Collocations
noun
music
Word Origin
Middle English: from Latin pirata, from Greek peiratēs, from peirein ‘to attempt, attack’ (from peira ‘an attempt’).