First recorded in 1805–15
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I want you to make ready our stern chaser.
From Ralph Granger's Fortunes by Brown, William Perry
At eight o'clock the "Wasp" had gained so rapidly upon the chase, that the latter began firing with her stern chaser, and soon after opened with one of her lee guns.
From The Naval History of the United States Volume 2 by Jackson, W. C.
"I see you were just getting out a stern chaser," and he pointed to the gun.
From With Wolfe in Canada The Winning of a Continent by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Let Tompion see what he can do with the stern-chaser, in the way of knocking away some of the fellow’s spars.
From Under the Meteor Flag Log of a Midshipman during the French Revolutionary War by Collingwood, Harry
They feared he had made up his mind to run, and this gun was to be used as a stern-chaser.
From The Second War with England, Vol. 1 of 2 by Headley, Joel Tyler
She was a little larger than the James in length and beam, but had carried no armament other than the now damaged stern-chaser.
From The Black Buccaneer by Meader, Stephen W. (Stephen Warren)
Slight defects in the mounting of the stern-chaser quick-firer had appeared almost as soon as the destroyer left the Firth of Forth, and the armourer's crew were hard at work rectifying the damage.
From With Beatty off Jutland A Romance of the Great Sea Fight by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
“Cast loose the stern-chaser, Jean Lafitte,” said I: “and do you and L’Olonnois load and fire her often as you like until we land; or until you burst her.”
From The Lady and the Pirate Being the Plain Tale of a Diligent Pirate and a Fair Captive by Mathes, Harry A.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
