xebec
[ zee-bek ]
noun
a small, three-masted vessel of the Mediterranean, formerly much used by corsairs, now employed to some extent in commerce.
Origin of xebec
11750–60; alteration of earlier chebec<French <Catalan xabec or Spanish xabeque (now jabeque), both <Arabic shabbāk
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British Dictionary definitions for xebec
xebec
zebec or zebeck
/ (ˈziːbɛk) /
noun
a small three-masted Mediterranean vessel with both square and lateen sails, formerly used by Algerian pirates and later used for commerce
Origin of xebec
1C18: earlier chebec from French, ultimately from Arabic shabbāk; present spelling influenced by Catalan xabec, Spanish xabeque (now jabeque)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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