privateer

American  

[prahy-vuh-teer] / ˌpraɪ vəˈtɪər /

noun

1. an armed ship that is privately owned and manned, commissioned by a government to fight or harass enemy ships.

2. privateersman.

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verb (used without object)

1. to cruise as a privateer.

privateer British  

/ ˌpraɪvəˈtɪə /

noun

1. an armed, privately owned vessel commissioned for war service by a government

2. Also called: privateersman.  a commander or member of the crew of a privateer

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verb

1. a competitor, esp in motor racing, who is privately financed rather than sponsored by a manufacturer

2. (intr) to serve as a privateer

Etymology

Origin of privateer

1640–50; private + -eer, modeled on volunteer

Explanation

Long ago, a privately-owned ship used during wartime was known as a privateer. Often the captain and crew of such a ship were also called privateers. The term privateer is sometimes used interchangeably with "pirate," and in fact these independent sailors frequently acted as pirates, looting and seizing other seagoing vessels for their own benefit. Originally, the term designated ships that were commissioned during wartime by a government, so they could aid in fighting the enemy at sea. The word comes from the phrase "private man of war," and is modeled after "volunteer" and "buccaneer."

Example Sentences

On top of all of this, Privateer also plans to make a database of previously collected data that’ll be available online for a fee.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2023

Privateer, a company co-founded by Dr. Jah, tracks about 48,000 human-made objects, ranging in size from a cellphone to the International Space Station itself.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2023

Steve Wozniak, the Silicon Valley icon and co-founder of Apple serves as president of Privateer.

From Scientific American • Jul. 29, 2022

Next trip, I’ll try the Privateer, a coal-fired pizzeria, or South O Brewing Co., which opened in late 2021, pushing the city’s brewery tally to about 15.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2022

That he this Deponent as soon as he came on board the Privateer shewed Richd.

From Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Illustrative Documents by Jameson, J. Franklin (John Franklin)