piracy

[ pahy-ruh-see ]
See synonyms for piracy on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural pi·ra·cies.
  1. practice of a pirate; robbery or illegal violence at sea.

  2. the unauthorized reproduction or use of a copyrighted book, recording, television program, patented invention, trademarked product, etc.: The record industry is beset with piracy.

  1. Also called stream capture. Geology. diversion of the upper part of one stream by the headward growth of another.

Origin of piracy

1
1545–55; earlier pyracie<Medieval Latin pīrātīa<Late Greek peirāteía.See pirate, -acy

Other words from piracy

  • an·ti·pi·ra·cy, noun, plural an·ti·pi·ra·cies, adjective

Words Nearby piracy

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How to use piracy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for piracy

piracy

/ (ˈpaɪrəsɪ) /


nounplural -cies
  1. British robbery on the seas within admiralty jurisdiction

  2. a felony, such as robbery or hijacking, committed aboard a ship or aircraft

  1. the unauthorized use or appropriation of patented or copyrighted material, ideas, etc

Origin of piracy

1
C16: from Anglo-Latin pirātia, from Late Greek peirāteia; see pirate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012