plagiarize
verb
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The Kidnapping Roots of Plagiarize
If schools wish to impress upon their students how serious an offense plagiarism is, they might start with an explanation of the word’s history. Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin to include a person who stole the words, rather than the children, of another. When plagiarius first entered English in the form plagiary, it kept its original reference to kidnapping, a sense that is now quite obsolete.
Examples of plagiarize in a Sentence
Ron Hart, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024
At one point, Privat griped that a certain Hong Kong restaurant had plagiarized his concept.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for plagiarize 
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“Plagiarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plagiarize
verb
Legal Definition
plagiarize
verb
Smith v. Little, Brown & Co., 265 F. Supp. 451 (1965)from plagiary plagiarist, from Latin plagiarius, literally, kidnapper, from plagium netting of game, kidnapping, from plaga net
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