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Glite Dictionary
highjacker

highjacker

6.7
A person who illegally takes control of a vehicle by force
  • noun
  • /ˈhaɪˌdʒækər/
  • US
translation icon : secuestrador
  • After the highjacker took control of the airplane, negotiations began for the safe release of the passengers.

Examples

  • The highjacker demanded money before allowing the passengers to leave the bus.

  • Police arrested the highjacker shortly after he seized the delivery truck.

  • The train was stopped by a masked highjacker late last night.

  • The highjacker demanded a ransom for the passengers.

  • Many highjackers are motivated by political reasons.

  • Authorities worked swiftly to apprehend the highjacker who forced the bus off the highway.

  • The highjacker was apprehended before he could escape with the stolen vehicle.

Synonyms

hijacker
vshighjacker
  • NSFW
49 6.4

A person who illegally takes control of a vehicle by force or threat

is often used specifically for aircraft rather than any vehicle
skyjacker
vshighjacker
  • NSFW
1 9.3

A person who takes a plane by force to demand something or change its destination

is broader and applies to any vehicle rather than only aircraft

Surface Forms

highjacker singular
highjackers plural

Morphology

highjacker = hijack (transparent) = hijack + er

Formed by the verb 'hijack' + agentive suffix '-er', so the role 'person who hijacks' is directly derived.

Etymology

Highjacker comes from the word hijack, which likely joins highway ('a main road') and jack ('to take by force' or 'to steal'). So a highjacker is someone who 'seizes' a vehicle, often a plane, by force.