Bootlegged

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Made, copied, or distributed in violation of laws or rights ; brought or sold secretly to avoid legal restrictions
2. Created or reproduced without official approval or license ; transported or marketed unlawfully to bypass rules or taxes
3. Illegally manufactured or duplicated, often to evade regulations ; moved or traded covertly to circumvent legal controls

Etymology: The past tense of "bootleg" is the form readers will meet most often, and it carries a story about smugglers who hid their goods in their boots. Smugglers in the reign of King George III, working along the coasts, were nicknamed "bootleggers" because they slipped packages of valuables into the large leg-high sea-boots they wore while evading the king's coastguardsmen. The name joined two plain words, "boot" and "leg," to describe the hiding place rather than the trade itself. Over time the sense moved from smuggling goods to making and selling things illegally. In the United States, the word became strongly associated with the illicit liquor trade during Prohibition, and from there it broadened to cover any unauthorized copying, such as pirated recordings or counterfeit goods. The verb form "bootlegged" therefore describes an action in which the original hiding-in-boots detail has been left far behind.

Synonyms: smuggled, illicit, unauthorized

Antonyms: legal, authorized