1.
[syn: privateer, privateersman]
2. a privately owned warship commissioned to prey on the commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Privateer \Pri`va*teer"\ (pr[imac]`v[.a]*t[=e]r"), n. [From
Private.]
1. An armed private vessel which bears the commission of the
sovereign power to cruise against the enemy. See Letters
of marque, under Marque.
[1913 Webster]
2. The commander of a privateer.
[1913 Webster]
Kidd soon threw off the character of a privateer and
became a pirate. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Privateer \Pri`va*teer"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Privateered
(pr[imac]`v[.a]*t[=e]rd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Privateering.]
To cruise in a privateer.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
privateer
n 1: an officer or crew member of a privateer [syn: privateer,
privateersman]
2: a privately owned warship commissioned to prey on the
commercial shipping or warships of an enemy nation
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
54 Moby Thesaurus words for "privateer":
AB, Ancient Mariner, Argonaut, Blackbeard, Captain Hook,
Captain Kidd, Dylan, Flying Dutchman, Henry Morgan, Jean Lafitte,
Neptune, OD, Poseidon, Varuna, able seaman, able-bodied seaman,
air pirate, airplane hijacker, bluejacket, buccaneer, corsair,
deep-sea man, fair-weather sailor, fisherman, freeboot, hearty,
jack, jack afloat, jack-tar, jacky, limey, lobsterman, mariner,
matelot, navigator, picaroon, pirate, rover, sailor, salt, sea dog,
sea king, sea rover, seafarer, seafaring man, seaman, shipman,
skyjacker, tar, viking, water dog, whaler, windjammer,
windsailor
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
PRIVATEER war. A vessel owned by one or by a society of private individuals,
armed and equipped at his or their expense, for the purpose of carrying on a
maritime war, by the authority of one of the belligerent parties.
2. For the purpose of encouraging the owners of private armed vessels,
they are usually allowed to appropriate to themselves the property they
capture, or, at least, a large proportion of it. 1 Kent, Com. 96; Posh. du
Dr. de Propr. n. 90 et seq. See 2 Dall. 36; 3 Dall. 334; 4 Cranch, 2; 1
Wheat. 46; 3 Wheat. 546; 2 Gall. R. 19; Id. 526; 1 Mason, R. 365 3 Wash. C.
C. R. 209 2 Gall. R. 56; 5 Wheat. 338; Mann. Com. 1.16.
U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):
Privateer, SC -- U.S. Census Designated Place in South Carolina
Population (2000): 2118
Housing Units (2000): 797
Land area (2000): 8.178530 sq. miles (21.182295 sq. km)
Water area (2000): 0.060744 sq. miles (0.157325 sq. km)
Total area (2000): 8.239274 sq. miles (21.339620 sq. km)
FIPS code: 58570
Located within: South Carolina (SC), FIPS 45
Location: 33.819630 N, 80.393205 W
ZIP Codes (1990):
Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
Headwords:
Privateer, SC
Privateer