Piggybacking

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of carrying or riding on someone's back or shoulders ; the practice of accessing or using a resource, system, or signal by attaching to or relying on another without permission
2. Carrying a person on one's back or shoulders as a means of transport ; unauthorized use of a network, service, or advantage by leveraging someone else's access
3. Transporting someone by allowing them to ride on your back or shoulders ; exploiting an existing connection or system to gain benefit or entry without approval

Etymology: "Piggybacking" is the present participle of "piggyback," so its history lies in that base word. The word "piggyback" itself, as far as the source supports, was formed by adding "pig" to "back," with the "pig" element most likely reflecting the early sense of something small or carried. The image is of one person riding on another's back, the way a child is carried, and the expression "piggyback" by the 1600s meant to be carried in this manner. The figurative sense, exploiting an existing connection or system to gain benefit without approval, grows naturally from that picture. Someone riding on another's back travels without making their own way, and the same idea of hitching onto something already moving gave rise to the modern meaning, as when one telecommunications signal rides on another or a traveller slips into a restricted area behind a legitimate pass.

Synonyms: riding, hitching, supporting