freebooter

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An adventurer who pillages, plunders, or thieves privately or for compensation; or wages ad-hoc war on other nations, similar to mercenary; also a "freeboot".
  2. One who rehosts online media without authorization, a form of intellectual property theft; one who freeboots.

Pronunciation

/ˈfɹiːbuːtə(ɹ)/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-freebooter.wav

Word forms

freebooter freebooters

Etymology

From free + booty + -er. Calque of Dutch vrijbuiter (literally “free booty-er”), from vrij (“free”) + buit (“booty”) + -er (occupational suffix). Doublet of filibuster.

Related words

Derived words

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