buccaneer

American  

[buhk-uh-neer] / ˌbʌk əˈnɪər /

noun

1. any of the piratical adventurers who raided Spanish colonies and ships along the American coast in the second half of the 17th century.

2. any pirate.

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buccaneer British  

/ ˌbʌkəˈnɪə /

noun

1. a pirate, esp one who preyed on the Spanish colonies and shipping in America and the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries

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verb

1. to be or act like a buccaneer

Other Word Forms

• buccaneerish adjective

Etymology

Origin of buccaneer

1655–65; < French boucanier, literally, barbecuer, equivalent to boucan barbecue (< Tupi, variant of mukém ) + -ier -eer

Example Sentences

He referred to Pirates of the Caribbean, but said that while that film's lead character Jack Sparrow was a "hero", he believed "these guys are high seas criminals, buccaneers".

From BBC

And Mahomes himself has been a shadow of the buccaneering quarterback who reinvented the position at the peak of his powers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Highwaymen rogues, buccaneers, cut-throats, they were like young princes to me, still only a lowly dishwasher.

From Salon

It was a buccaneering innings full of trademark shots square of the wicket as he cut, dabbed, pulled and effortlessly flicked his way to three figures.

From BBC

Fred Goodwin did that in buccaneering and bullying style, trampling over the older canny values of conventional Scottish finance with the goal of creating a global giant.

From BBC