Definition:
The term buccaneer refers to pirates who were active in the Caribbean during the late 1600s. While most were outright pirates, some were issued letters of marque and sailed as legal privateers. The term buccaneer derives from the Arawak word buccan, a wooden frame for smoking meat, and the French term boucanier, a French hunter who used these type of frames on Hispaniola. These terms were anglicized into the word buccaneer.
Pronunciation: buhk-uh-neer
Examples:
One of the most famous English buccaneer leaders was Admiral Sir Henry Morgan. Sailing under the auspices of the governor of Jamaica, he generally acted as a privateer and later became lieutenant governor of the island.
