subs. (literary).—1. An infringer of copyright: specifically of publishers, print-sellers, and booksellers, who, without permission, appropriate the work or ideas of an author or artist; a FREEBOOKER. Also as verb.: cf. BARABBAS, GHOST, JACKAL, &c.
1708. KING, The Art of Cookery, vii. I am told that, if a book is anything useful, the printers have a way of PIRATING on one another, and printing other persons copies: which is very barbarous.
1729. HEARNE, Diary, 23 Sept. The said Davis … makes it his business to PYRATE books, and hath reprinted something from mine without acknowledgment.
d. 1744. POPE [quoted in Century]. They advertised they would PIRATE his edition. Ibid., Letters, Pref. The errors of the press were … multiplied … by the avarice and negligence of PIRATICAL printers.
1887. Shakespearianæ, VI. 105. Meres refers to them [Shakspere’s ‘Sonnets’] in 1598 … and in 1599 two of them were printed by the PIRATE Jaggard.
1888. New Princeton Review, v. 50. We are doing all the PIRATING in these days; the English used to be in the business, but they dropped out of it long ago.
d. 1891. J. R. LOWELL, Coleridge, in Literary and Political Addresses. It was a PIRATED book, and I trust I may be pardoned for the delight I had in it.
2. (venery).—An adulteress: one who chases other women’s men: also, conversely, of men.
1749. SMOLLETT, Gil Blas [ROUTLEDGE], 222. Lorenza … smuggles the surgeon … Every evening into her apartment… the PIRATE generally stays pretty long upon his cruise.
3. (common).—See quot. Now (1902), thanks to police regulations and the imposition of heavy penalties, almost a thing of the past: chiefly applied, without depreciation, to any non “Company” or “Association” vehicle.
1897. Pall Mall Gazette, 31 Dec., 5, 3. In 1829 George Shillibeer introduced omnibuses into London, and … took care to impress upon every man he employed the importance of politeness towards all passengers. But in 1832 it was noticed that this high standard … was not maintained by … conductors of the new ’buses running from Paddington to the Bank via Oxford-street. They overcharged passengers, and met protests with abuse. Frequently, when females only were in the ’bus, they brought their journey to an end long before they reached their advertised destination, compelling the passengers to walk a considerable distance after paying their fares…. These were the first PIRATE omnibuses. To let the public know which really were his vehicles Shillibeer at once had painted on them “Shillibeer’s Original Omnibus.” In a few days the same inscription appeared on some of the pirates with the word “not” in very small letters preceding it.
