buccaneer

play

noun buc·ca·neer \ ˌbə-kə-ˈnir \

Definition of buccaneer

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

—

buccaneerish

play \-ish\ adjective

See buccaneer defined for English-language learners

See buccaneer defined for kids

Examples of buccaneer in a Sentence

buccaneers who preyed upon treasure-laden ships in the Caribbean

Recent Examples of buccaneer from the Web

Disney reportedly tested out video mapping of the individual pirates on the Columbia that would have transformed the flesh-and-blood buccaneers into skeleton scallywags in an homage to the movies.

— brady macdonald, latimes.com, "Out with the old, in with the new: Disneyland’s ‘Fantasmic’ drops old favorites for new stars," 25 July 2017
Other ships ferried passengers, pine and, less nobly, freshwater buccaneers eager to raid other ships' cargo.

— chris mcnamara, chicagotribune.com, "A deep dive into Michigan's eerie, beautiful Shipwreck Coast," 18 July 2017
For the first time in a century or two, an invading buccaneer has set his sights on the Gulf Coast: The Captain D's seafood restaurant chain has announced plans for four new sites - with more to follow - in the Mobile-Pensacola area.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "In expansion mode, Captain D's sets sights on the coast," 17 July 2017
So goes a familiar refrain in Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, spoken by a robotic buccaneer pining for a chance to buy a wife in a scene that depicts a bridal auction.

— todd martens, latimes.com, "‘We wants the redhead’: Disney fans protest Pirates of the Caribbean change at D23 Expo," 15 July 2017
Buccaneers and pirate-wannabes of all ages abound, since pirate attire is encouraged and usually available from event vendors.

— madeline mckenzie, The Seattle Times, "Take your pick, take in summer at festivals offering pirates, parades, seafood, bike races," 5 July 2017
Good actors (often with international pedigrees) might come and go, but the films remain defined by their elaborate action pieces and Johnny Depp's perpetually drunk and disorderly buccaneer, Captain Jack Sparrow.

— brian lowry, CNN, "'Pirates of the Caribbean' tries to turn back time," 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'buccaneer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of buccaneer

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1686

See Words from the same year