stern chaser

noun

a cannon mounted at or near the stern of a sailing ship, facing aft.

Origin of stern chaser

First recorded in 1805–15

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

Examples from the Web for stern-chaser

Historical Examples of stern-chaser

Cast loose the stern-chaser and fire her at yon varlet if he makes a move.
The Lady and the Pirate
Emerson Hough
The vessel had swung round a little, so that her stern-chaser, a culverin twelve feet long, pointed full at the fort.
With Drake on the Spanish Main
Herbert Strang
They feared he had made up his mind to run, and this gun was to be used as a stern-chaser.
The Second War with England, Vol. 1 of 2
J. T. Headley.
The stern-chaser belched forth, and the shot tore across the water, but missed the Caroline.
The Cruise of the "Lively Bee"
John De Morgan

British Dictionary definitions for stern-chaser

stern-chaser

noun

a gun mounted at the stern of a vessel for firing aft at a pursuing vessel

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