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 : pirate
2 : an unscrupulous adventurer especially in politics or business

— buccaneer intransitive verb

— buc·ca·neer·ish \-ish\ adjective