smuggler
UK: ˈsmʌɡ.lər | US: ˈsmʌɡ.lɚ
n. a person who moves goods illegally into or out of a country
n. someone who engages in clandestine or prohibited trade
The word "smuggler" originates from the Low German smuggeln or Dutch smokkelen, meaning "to transport goods secretly." The suffix "-er" (from Old English -ere) denotes a person performing the action. Historically, smuggling involved evading taxes or trade restrictions, often by stealthy means. The morpheme "smuggle" retains its core meaning of covert movement, while "-er" specifies the actor.
The smuggler was caught with rare artifacts hidden in his luggage.
Coastal towns often had smugglers bringing in untaxed goods.
Authorities tightened patrols to deter smugglers near the border.
The novel’s protagonist was a smuggler trading forbidden books.
Modern smugglers sometimes use drones to bypass security.