🇬🇧 Piracy meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

Piracy is when people on one ship attack another ship so they can steal its treasures, like money, goods, or supplies. The people who do piracy are called pirates. They may chase other ships, scare the sailors, and take what’s on board. Piracy is against the law, it is dangerous, and it isn’t like the friendly, silly pirates you see in cartoons—it’s real crime on the water.

The baby performed high‑chair piracy, stealing fries from every plate that sailed too close to her tiny hands.

My little brother yelled, “I declare pillow piracy!” and attacked my bed, capturing every last cushion.

The cat practiced snack piracy, leaping onto the table and stealing a single, glorious chicken nugget before escaping.

The seagulls committed sky piracy at the beach, swooping down and stealing everyone’s french fries like flying pirates.

Real-life piracy still happens today on some oceans, where modern pirates attack ships to steal valuable cargo, just like in the old days but with speedboats instead of wooden pirate ships.

Piracy struck at dawn: a black sail, a shout, a rope over the trader's deck. They saw piracy when men leapt and took chests and a child’s wooden horse. Nearby fishermen chased; piracy met nets and steel. Villagers vowed to stop piracy. The sea gave up the thieves. Piracy ended. The child wept, then laughed.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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