buccaneer

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to live like a buccaneer

   They have buccaneered for their whole life.

2. 2
   noun

   Any of a group of seamen who cruised on their own account on the Spanish Main and in the Pacific in the 17th century, who were similar to pirates but did not prey on ships of their own nation.

   “Heard of him!” cried the squire. “Heard of him, you say! He was the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that sailed.[…]”

3. 3
   verb

   To engage in piracy against any but one's own nation's ships.

   In 1596 and 1597 he bucaneered against Sao Thomi, the Portuguese slaving settlement off the coast of West Africa, and in the Spanish Main

4. 4
   noun

   someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation

5. 5
   noun

   A pirate.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Tupian *mo- Proto-Tupi-Guarani *mo- Proto-Tupi-Guarani *kaʔẽ Proto-Tupi-Guarani *mokaʔẽ Old Tupi moka'ẽbor. French boucan Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārius Old French -ier Middle French -er French -ier French boucanierbor. English buccaneer From French boucanier, from boucaner (“to smoke or broil meat and fish, to hunt wild beasts for their skins”), from boucan (“(Tupi-style) grill”), from Old Tupi moka'ẽ, mboka'ẽ (“wooden grill”). By surface analysis, buccan + -eer.