Blackbeard

[blak-beerd]

noun

pseudonym of Edward Teach.

Teach

[teech]

noun

EdwardBlackbeard, died 1718, English pirate and privateer in the Americas.

Also Thatch, Thach.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for blackbeard

Historical Examples of blackbeard

"I do suppose Blackbeard's so afraid he don't know how to see," said the first speaker.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
The lieutenant heard somebody say, "That's Blackbeard hisself."
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
Blackbeard again jumped up in the air and clapped his heels.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
One morning Captain Blackbeard finds that his stock of medicine is low.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
Blackbeard was one of the most desperate pirates of the age.
The Naval History of the United States
Willis J. Abbot.

British Dictionary definitions for blackbeard

Blackbeard

noun

nickname of (Edward) TeachSee Teach

Teach

noun

Edward, known as Blackbeard. died 1718, English pirate, active in the West Indies and on the Atlantic coast of North America

teach

verb teaches, teaching or taught

(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive often foll by how) to help to learn; tell or show (how)to teach someone to paint; to teach someone how to paint

to give instruction or lessons in (a subject) to (a person or animal)to teach French; to teach children; she teaches

(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to cause to learn or understandexperience taught him that he could not be a journalist

Also: teach someone a lesson informal to cause (someone) to suffer the unpleasant consequences of some action or behaviour

Derived Formsteachable, adjective

Word Origin for teach

Old English tǣcan; related to tācen token, Old Frisian tēken, Old Saxon tēkan, Old High German zeihhan, Old Norse teikn sign

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

Word Origin and History for blackbeard

teach

Old English tæcan (past tense and past participle tæhte) "to show, point out," also "to give instruction," from Proto-Germanic *taikijanan (cf. Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Gothic ga-teihan "to announce"), from PIE *deik- "to show, point out" (see diction). Related to Old English tacen, tacn "sign, mark" (see token). Related: Taught; teaching.

Old English tæcan had more usually a sense of "show, declare, warn, persuade" (cf. German zeigen "to show," from the same root); while the Old English word for "to teach, instruct, guide" was more commonly læran, source of modern learn and lore.