Library / English Dictionary

PRIVATEER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: privateer   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A privately owned warship commissioned to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("privateer" is a kind of...):

combat ship; war vessel; warship (a government ship that is available for waging war)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An officer or crew member of a privateer

Synonyms:

privateer; privateersman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("privateer" is a kind of...):

crew member; crewman (a member of a flight crew)

officer; ship's officer (a person authorized to serve in a position of authority on a vessel)

Instance hyponyms:

Hawkins; Hawkyns; Sir John Hawkins; Sir John Hawkyns (English privateer involved in the slave trade; later helped build the fleet that in 1588 defeated the Spanish Armada (1532-1595))

Credits