corsair
/'kɔ:seə/
Definition
- Noun:
- A swift pirate ship (often operating with official sanction): A type of fast ship historically used by pirates, sometimes with the unofficial or official permission of a government.
- A pirate along the Barbary Coast: Specifically refers to a pirate who operated in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly from the North African coast (the Barbary Coast) from the 16th to the 19th century.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The merchant vessel was captured by a fearsome corsair.
- The museum displayed a model of a 17th-century corsair.
- Corsairs from the Barbary Coast were a major threat to European shipping.
Advanced Usage
- The term corsair often implies a degree of legitimacy or state sponsorship, distinguishing it from a common pirate. A corsair might have held a "letter of marque," a government license to attack enemy ships.
- Unlike a common pirate, the corsair operated under the protection of the local bey.
Variants and Related Words
- Privateer (n): A private person or ship authorized by a government to attack foreign vessels. This is a close synonym, though "privateer" is a more general term, while "corsair" is often geographically specific.
- Buccaneer (n): A pirate, originally one operating in the Caribbean. This term is distinct from "corsair," which is associated with the Mediterranean.
Synonyms
- Pirate: A person who attacks and robs ships at sea.
- Sea rover: A literary term for a pirate or pirate ship.
- Freebooter: A person who goes about in search of plunder; a pirate.
Related Phrases
- Barbary corsair: A specific term for the pirates operating from the Barbary Coast.
- The Barbary corsairs demanded tribute from coastal towns.
Related Idioms
- While there are no common idioms using the word corsair itself, the concept is central to idioms about piracy, such as "to sail under false colors," meaning to deceive by pretending to be something one is not, a tactic used by pirates and corsairs.
Noun
-
a swift pirate ship (often operating with official sanction)
-
a pirate along the Barbary Coast
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