bootlegger

noun

boot·​leg·​ger ˈbüt-ˌle-gər 

-ˌlā-

plural bootleggers

: one who bootlegs something: such as

a

: a person who makes or sells alcoholic liquor illegally

… in sleepy little St-Hilaire, once a Prohibition boom town, from which bootleggers smuggled truckloads of whisky into the U.S. …

—Will Ferguson

Most of us associate the pocket flask with the Roaring Twenties era of the bootlegger and the speakeasy …

—Linda Rosenkrantz

b

: a person who produces, reproduces, or distributes something (such as a recording) illicitly or without authorization

As part of his job, Schoenfeld is charged with ferreting out record bootleggers and protecting the copyright interests of record labels.

—Holly Gleason

… the conversation ran from how the different companies project returns on direct mail to efforts to crack down on software bootleggers.

—Leslie Brokaw

Synonyms of bootlegger

• smuggler

Examples of bootlegger in a Sentence

a bootlegger of counterfeit electronics

Recent Examples on the Web

Artificial intelligence developers have borrowed the word to describe boiling down a big AI model into a smaller one—and lately the biggest AI companies say that rivals have been distilling like bootleggers. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026

Others are following the Styles pop-up playbook and fully leaning into exclusivity — offering not just apparel, but also experiences that fans can’t get from the bootleggers. — Matt Martell, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

The supporting cast is well stocked with character actors who bring humor and pathos to this gaggle of spouses, friends, lovers and bootleggers. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026

The spicy margarita and bootlegger cocktails were lady-friend approved, and the guys all loved their beers. — Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

bootleg entry 1 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bootlegger

• beggar
• egger
• jaeger