privateersman

[ prahy-vuh-teerz-muhn ]

noun,plural pri·va·teers·men.
  1. an officer or sailor of a privateer.

Origin of privateersman

1
An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; privateer + 's1 + -man

Words Nearby privateersman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use privateersman in a sentence

  • Captain William Wanton, of Portsmouth, took out a commission as privateersman and brought in several valuable prizes.

    A short history of Rhode Island | George Washington Greene
  • The privateersman sprang into the boat, shoved it off, and pulled in the direction from which the appeal came.

  • "I hope he did not do that," said the privateersman, with a good deal more energy than the other thought the occasion warranted.

  • But the privateersman suddenly fell upon him, and both of them went down.

  • "An excellent simile, Captain Passford, and I could not have invented a better myself," returned the privateersman.

    Stand By The Union | Oliver Optic