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.

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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

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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

In “Jaws,” Quint the buccaneer is devoured by the shark, along with one of the oxygen tanks Professor Hooper insisted on bringing on the boat.

From Washington Times • May 8, 2023

With comparable deftness, Kelly A. Harmon’s “Trumpets of Freedom” reassembles characters from “The Lighthouse at the End of the World,” then adds steampunk robots and that aeronautical buccaneer, Robur the Conqueror.

From Washington Post • Feb. 24, 2023

After the Sex Pistols split, the two held their first catwalk show in 1981, presenting a "new romantic" look of African-style patterns, buccaneer trousers and sashes.

From Reuters • Dec. 29, 2022

In the case of this droll comedy about a wealthy 18th-century gentleman turned bungling buccaneer, that requires visualizing many different feelings.

From Salon • Dec. 29, 2022

“C’m’ere, you dreadful little rogue! I’ve got the very thing for you. This is a leveret dagger. All young hares carry one. Here, let’s try it on you for size, young buccaneer, what, what!”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques