Main Entry:

buc·ca·neer

Pronunciation:

\ˌbə-kə-ˈnir\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French boucanier woodsman, pirate (in the 17th century West Indies), from boucaner to smoke meat, from boucan wooden frame for smoking meat, from Tupi mokaʔẽ́, mbokaʔẽ́, from mo-, mbo- causative marker + kaʔẽ to be roasted, dried

Date:

1686

1: any of the freebooters preying on Spanish ships and settlements especially in 17th century West Indies ; broadly : pirate2: an unscrupulous adventurer especially in politics or business

— buccaneer intransitive verb

— buc·ca·neer·ish \-ish\ adjective