black marketeer
1
7.5
- noun
- /blæk ˌmɑːr.kɪˈr/
- NSFW
:
traficante
- Russian bankers who were not Mafia-affiliated were shot down in droves by the black marketeers.
He declares it the Stalingrad of China and unleashes brutal order squads to execute looters, communist suspects and black marketeers.
- He declares it the Stalingrad of China and unleashes brutal order squads to execute looters, communist suspects and black marketeers.
Examples
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He learned more from the black marketeers working out of the docks than he ever learned in school.
Fiction book (1996) -
During the economic crisis, many black marketeers profited from the high demand for essential goods.
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He was a thief, a con man, a black marketeer.
Fiction book (1992) -
Most of these black marketeers are from marginal ethnic groups and sects and consequently have little access to credit.
Academic text (1990) -
They're black marketeers.
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- Civilians, troops, gangsters, cowboys... ...deserters, refugees, dopers, black-marketeers.
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He's ruthless, he's tough, he began life as a black marketeer, and he's thought to have made millions through dodgy p211 business practices, although no one's been able to prove it.
Fiction book (1996) -
The authorities arrested several black marketeers who were illegally selling scarce medical supplies.
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In the small town, the rise of black marketeers made it difficult for legitimate businesses to survive.
Synonyms
384
6.5
A person who buys and sells illegal goods like drugs and stolen items
89
3.8
A person who secretly moves goods across borders to avoid paying tax
62
8.0
A person who illegally buys and sells goods or people
A person who moves goods across a border illegally, often to avoid taxes
A person who secretly brings goods into or out of a country to avoid paying taxes
How Illegal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'black' conveys illicit or covert activity and 'marketeer' denotes a seller or trader; combined they compositionally yield 'a seller who trades illicitly.' This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition (analogous to 'black market') and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The noun black marketeer comes from the idea of a black 'hidden' or 'illegal' market where people secretly buy and sell goods. So a black marketeer is someone who trades hard-to-find or controlled items 'illegally' to make money.