wiretapper

noun

wire·​tap·​per ˈwī(-ə)r-ˌta-pər How to pronounce wiretapper (audio)
: one that taps telephone or telegraph wires or signals

Examples of wiretapper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But by 1973, Israel’s army had become relatively complacent — something the show drives home through one of its main characters, an intelligence wiretapper named Avinoam, who pleads with his commanding officers, to no avail, to prepare for a surprise attack. Gabe Friedman, sun-sentinel.com, 24 Nov. 2020 On the small screen, season 5 of The Crown imagines that the cozy call was intercepted by a wandering wiretapper in real time and sold for profit. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 10 Nov. 2022 But Johnson held back some details, notably anything about the wiretapping, including the wiretapper's name. AZCentral.com, 3 Dec. 2019 Even with the session key, wiretappers would still need to collect a full copy of the encrypted call, which can be a significant challenge. Russell Brandom, The Verge, 20 Aug. 2018 Rather, as Walter Murch, the film’s sound editor (and crucial collaborator), points out, Coppola chose to focus the entire film on what in a standard thriller would be a minor character, the wiretapper, some guy who drops off the tapes and leaves. Jonathan Kirshner, Slate Magazine, 22 June 2017 Northwest Dance Network SAT Dance lesson, 7:30 p.m., dance to music with The Wiretappers, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 N.W. 57th St., Seattle; $10-$15 (206-781-1238 or nwdance.net). Madeline McKenzie, The Seattle Times, 4 May 2017 No, the first single from Calexico’s newest effort Carried to Dust, out September 2 from Quarterstick Records, is more interested in codebreakers, wiretappers, airplane graveyards and other postmodern metaphors. Scott Thill, WIRED, 15 Aug. 2008

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wiretapper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wiretapper was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near wiretapper

Cite this Entry

“Wiretapper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wiretapper. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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