bootleg
/ˈbuːtleɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbuːtleɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbuːt.leɡ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbuːt.leɡ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbüt-ˌleg -ˌlāg/ (ame, mw)
bootleg — adjective
- bootlegpositive
- more bootlegcomparative
- most bootlegsuperlative
1. made or sold outside the law or without the owner's approval, especially for med
made or sold outside the law or without the owner's approval, especially for media, software, or alcohol.
Jisoo bought a bootleg DVD from a street stall outside the station.
bootleg + DVD / film / copy
Customs officers found bootleg whiskey hidden inside boxes of cooking oil.
bootleg + liquor / alcohol
The app store removed several bootleg versions of the game within hours.
At the night market, Roya laughed at the bootleg handbags with crooked logos.
- pirated
especially used for films, music, software, and other copied media
- counterfeit
emphasises that the item pretends to be an official brand product
- illicit
more formal and broader; not limited to copied goods
文法句型
bootleg + DVD/recording/software
bootleg + liquor/merchandise
用法筆記
Most often modifies physical or digital goods such as DVDs, songs, games, bags, or liquor. Distinguish from adjective sense 2, which is only about the shape of jeans or trousers.
常見錯誤
2. having trouser legs that widen slightly below the knee so they fit neatly over b
having trouser legs that widen slightly below the knee so they fit neatly over boots.
Ayesha chose bootleg jeans because they balanced her broad shoulders.
bootleg + jeans
The shop assistant showed Mauricio a bootleg style with a small flare.
bootleg + style / cut
For the dance show, Ayana wore bootleg trousers over silver ankle boots.
That brand's bootleg cut looks neater than the very wide 1970s version.
- bootcut
the usual fashion term for this shape
- slightly flared
describes the same widening shape in more general words
文法句型
bootleg + jeans/trousers
bootleg + cut/style
用法筆記
Used in clothing contexts, especially with jeans, trousers, cut, or style. It refers to shape, not to the illegal-copy meaning in adjective sense 1.
常見錯誤
bootleg — noun
- bootlegsingular
- bootlegsplural
1. an unofficial copy or other product sold against the law, or liquor that is made
an unofficial copy or other product sold against the law, or liquor that is made and traded in secret.
Gabriel paid five dollars for a bootleg of the concert outside the arena.
a bootleg of + concert / album / show
During Prohibition, farmers hid jugs of bootleg under the barn floor.
jugs/bottles of bootleg = illegal liquor
The market was full of bootlegs with blurry covers and missing subtitles.
Asher traded a rare bootleg from a Tokyo show for three jazz records.
- pirated copy
especially for films, music, software, and books
- counterfeit
broader; often used for fake branded goods rather than recordings
- moonshine
specifically illegal homemade liquor, not copied media
- official release
a version issued by the legal rights holder
- licensed copy
a copy made or sold with permission
文法句型
a bootleg of + concert/album/film
a bottle/jug of bootleg
用法筆記
For media, the noun is usually countable and often followed by 'of' plus the performance or recording. In older American contexts, it can also be uncountable and refer to illegally made liquor.
常見錯誤
2. in American football, a trick run where the quarterback acts as if he is giving
in American football, a trick run where the quarterback acts as if he is giving the ball to a teammate, keeps it, and breaks outside instead.
On third down, the quarterback scored on a bootleg after faking the handoff.
score on a bootleg
The defence bit on the run, leaving Vinícius wide open for the bootleg.
Our coach called a bootleg near the goal line to surprise the linebackers.
TV replay showed Christopher hiding the ball on his hip during the bootleg.
- bootleg play
full form of the same football term
- rollout fake
informal coaching description that stresses the fake and runout
- straight handoff
normal running play without the quarterback keeping the ball
文法句型
call a bootleg
score on a bootleg
bootleg play
用法筆記
This noun belongs to American football only and usually appears with verbs such as call, run, or score on. Distinguish it from noun sense 1, which is about illegal goods or liquor.
常見錯誤
bootleg — verb
- bootlegpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bootlegs3rd person singular
- bootlegging-ing form
- bootleggedpast simple
1. to produce, duplicate, move, or sell goods secretly and against the law, especia
to produce, duplicate, move, or sell goods secretly and against the law, especially media, alcohol, or cigarettes.
A gang bootlegged cigarettes across the border and sold them in Taipei.
bootleg + cigarettes / liquor
Someone bootlegged the new drama and uploaded it before the official release.
bootleg + film / drama / album
Police said the bar had been bootlegging liquor for nearly a year.
Amihan refused to bootleg the textbook even when her classmates asked.
For years, dock workers bootlegged at night along the river outside town.
- pirate
especially for films, music, books, and software
- smuggle
focuses on secretly moving goods, even when they are not copied
- counterfeit
focuses on making fake goods look official
文法句型
bootleg + film/music/software/textbook
bootleg + liquor/cigarettes
bootleg (intransitive)
用法筆記
The object is usually media, liquor, cigarettes, or other goods that people copy, smuggle, or sell without permission or tax. Used without an object, it often refers to the older trade in illegal alcohol.