Corsair

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Corsair \Cor"sair\ (k?r"s?r), n. [F. corsaire (cf. It. corsare,
     corsale, Pr. corsari), LL. corsarius, fr. L. cursus a
     running, course, whence Sp. corso cruise, corsa cruise,
     coasting voyage, corsear to cruise against the enemy, to
     pirate, corsario cruising, a privateer authorized to cruise
     against the enemy. See {Course}.]


     1. A pirate; one who cruises about without authorization from
        any government, to seize booty on sea or land.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A piratical vessel.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Barbary corsairs . . . infested the coast of the
              Mediterranean.                        --Prescott.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.) A Californian market fish ({Sebastichthys
        rosaceus}).
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  corsair
       n 1: a pirate along the Barbary coast [syn: {Barbary pirate}]
       2: a swift pirate ship (often operating with official sanction)

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  CORSAIR, n.  A politician of the seas.