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.

---

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

---

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

Explanation

Buccaneer is another name for "pirate." When you're sailing the open sea, you might worry about a buccaneer who wants to rob your ship and possibly enslave your crew. In the late 17th century, a buccaneer was a specific kind of pirate. Buccaneers generally stayed in the Caribbean Sea, while pirates roamed the Indian Ocean. Buccaneers were also more likely to attack coastal cities. Perhaps in those cities, they learned to smoke meat, which is the meaning of the French word boucanier and the Native American word bukan. Buccaneers were known for eating smoked meats.

Example Sentences

Ms Lewis added that her father had partly been inspired their neighbour in Kings Heath, called Geoffrey Bull, who had invented the game Buccaneer about a decade earlier.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2025

“Every day here feels like the most perfect summer day,” Mercedes Murray, 38, said as she lounged at Buccaneer Beach, a spot popular among locals.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2023

Biden and grandson Hunter, 16, were hitting balls on the 18-hole course at the Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort in the town of Christiansted on St. Croix.

From Washington Times • Dec. 30, 2022

On TV he’ll watch golf — the pace more to his liking — and Buccaneer football, because that’s our home team and they, mostly, win.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2022

This Buccaneer colony of Tortuga arose rather by accident than by the design of any one ambitious mind.

From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume I (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Thornbury, Walter