Bucanero
/ˌbuːkəˈnɛəroʊ/noun
A pirate, especially one operating in the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Did you know?Spanish bucanero comes from bucan, a Caribbean word for a wooden frame used to smoke meat, so the original buccaneers were literally ‘meat-smokers’ before the word became tied to piracy.
Etymological Timeline
Caribbean Taino / Arawak
Taíno
bucan
“A wooden rack or grill used for smoking meat over a fire.”
16th Century
French
boucan
“A wooden frame for smoking meat; smoked meat.”
17th Century
French
boucanier
“A person who smoked meat on a boucan; later, a Caribbean pirate or raider.”
17th Century
Spanish
bucanero
“A buccaneer; a pirate or sea rover in the Caribbean.”
17th Century
English
buccaneer
“A pirate, especially in the Caribbean.”
Modern English
English
buccaneer
“A pirate; by extension, a daring adventurer or privateer.”