spacciare

to deal (drugs); to pass off as

verb spah-CHAH-reh Rare

Usage Note

Spacciare has two main senses: (1) to sell illegal drugs (spacciare droga) — the agent noun is spacciatore/spacciatrice; (2) to pass something off as something else (spacciare per originale — 'to pass off as genuine'). The reflexive spacciarsi per means 'to pose as' (si spaccia per medico — 'he poses as a doctor'). Context is essential as the two senses are quite different.

Examples

"Lo hanno arrestato per spacciare droga."

Natural Translation

They arrested him for dealing drugs.

Literal Translation

Him they-have arrested for dealing drugs.

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