buccaneer

Meanings

Noun

someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation
Any of a group of seamen who cruised on their own account on the Spanish Main and in the Pacific in the 17th century, who were similar to pirates but did not prey on ships of their own nation.
A pirate.

Verb

live like a buccaneer
To engage in piracy against any but one's own nation's ships.

Origin / Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Tupian *mo-
Proto-Tupi-Guarani *mo-
Proto-Tupi-Guarani *kaʔẽ
Proto-Tupi-Guarani *mokaʔẽ
Old Tupi moka'ẽbor.
French boucan
Latin -ārius
Old French -ier
Middle French -er
French -ier
French boucanierbor.
English buccaneer
From French boucanier, from boucaner (“to smoke or broil meat and fish, to hunt wild beasts for their skins”), from boucan (“(Tupi-style) grill”), from Old Tupi moka'ẽ, mboka'ẽ (“wooden grill”). By surface analysis, buccan + -eer.

Synonyms

pirate, privateer, sea robber, sea rover

Scrabble Score: 15

buccaneer is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
buccaneer is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
buccaneer is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 20

buccaneer is a valid Words With Friends word