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pirate definition

pi·rate (pī′rət)

noun

  1. a person who practices piracy; esp., a robber of ships on the high seas
  2. a ship used by pirates in attacking other vessels
  3. one who engages in the illegal recording, transmission, or reception of radio or TV broadcasts

Etymology: ME < L pirata < Gr peiratēs < peirān, to attempt, attack < IE base *per-, to bring through, penetrate > fare

transitive verb, intransitive verb pirated -·rated, pirating -·rat·ing

  1. to practice piracy (upon)
  2. to take (something) by piracy
  3. to publish, reproduce, or make use of without authorization (a literary work, musical recording, videotape, etc.), esp. in violation of a copyright

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pirate Synonyms

pirate

n.

thief, freebooter, plunderer, pillager, marauder, privateer, soldier of fortune, corsair, buccaneer, ranger, sea rover, sea-robber, Barbary pirate, plagiarist; see also criminal, robber.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pirate Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • swashbuckling: Long gone are the days of swashbuckling pirates clanking swords.

Converse of object

  • maraud: A celebration is held here on September 8 each year to mark a famous victory over marauding pirates.

Converse of subject

  • kidnap: When he was about fifteen years old, he was kidnaped by Irish pirates and reduced to slavery to tend herds for six years.

Modifies a noun

  • dvds: It doesn't mean your PC's been selling pirate DVDs and that you'll end up in the nick.

Object

  • software: You can't pirate open source software, you can however sell it however you like.
pirate usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

pirate quotes

It is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King.

-Gilbert, Sir W(illiam) S(chwenck)

When you meet Mr. Smith first you think he looks like an over-dressed pirate. Then you begin to think him a character.You wonder at his enormous bulk. Then the utter hopelessness of knowing what Smith is thinking by merely looking at his features gets on your mind and makes the Mona Lisa seem an open book and the ordinary human countenance as superficial as a puddle in the sunlight.

-Leacock, Stephen Butler

pirate quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"pirate." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/pirate>

APA Style

pirate. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pirate

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