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corsair

[ kawr-sair ]
/ ˈkɔr sɛər /
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noun
a fast ship used for piracy.
a pirate, especially formerly of the Barbary Coast.
Corsair, Military. a gull-winged, propeller-driven fighter plane built for the U.S. Navy in World War II and kept in service into the early 1950s.
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Origin of corsair

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French corsaire, from Provençal corsar(i), from Upper Italian corsaro, from Medieval Latin cursārius, equivalent to Latin curs(us) course + -ārius -ary

Words nearby corsair

corruptionist, corruption of blood, corrupt practices act, corsac, corsage, corsair, corse, corselet, corset, corset cover, corsetier
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to corsair

buccaneer, freebooter, marauder, robber, picaroon

How to use corsair in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for corsair

corsair
/ (ˈkɔːsɛə) /
noun
a pirate
a privateer, esp of the Barbary Coast

Word Origin for corsair

C15: from Old French corsaire pirate, from Medieval Latin cursārius, from Latin cursus a running, course
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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