Buccaneer
/ˌbʌkəˈnɪə(r)/noun
A pirate, especially one operating in the Caribbean in the 17th century.
Did you know?The word comes from Caribbean hunters who smoked meat on a wooden frame called a *boucan*, and the pirate sense grew from outsiders who adopted that life on Hispaniola.
Etymological Timeline
Taino / Caribbean Indigenous
Arawak
buccan
“A wooden frame or rack used for smoking meat.”
17th Century
French
boucan
“A smoking rack for meat; by extension, smoked meat.”
17th Century
French
boucanier
“A hunter or meat-curer in the Caribbean, especially on Hispaniola.”
17th Century
English
buccaneer
“Originally a Caribbean hunter or meat-curer; later a pirate or sea rover.”
Modern English
English
buccaneer
“A pirate, especially one associated with the Caribbean in the 17th century.”