The Dictionary of English Nautical Language Database: Search Results
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Term:
buccaneer (n)
Definition:
A pirate or freebooter of the Caribbean, from the French "boucane" (smoke) and "boucan" (smoked meat). Early rogue ships stopped at islands in the Caribbean to poach cattle, which were butchered then preserved by smoking the meat. Later the term was applied to pirates. (Thanks to John Hutchinson)
