porch pirate
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A criminal who steals a delivered package from a porch.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
After Bohlan's home security system recorded a porch pirate stealing packages from his doorstep, he reported the theft to the police department...and volunteered his own doorstep as a place where police could leave "bait" packages to catch porch pirates.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “porch pirate” mean?
A criminal who steals a delivered package from a porch.
Is “porch pirate” formal or informal?
porch pirate is generally slang.