Pinnace

2 definitions found

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

  Pinnace \Pin"nace\, n. [F. pinasse; cf. It. pinassa, pinazza,
     Sp. pinaza; all from L. pinus a pine tree, anything made of
     pine, e.g., a ship. Cf. {Pine} a tree.]
     1. (Naut.)
        (a) A small vessel propelled by sails or oars, formerly
            employed as a tender, or for coast defence; -- called


            originally, {spynace} or {spyne}.
        (b) A man-of-war's boat.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Whilst our pinnace anchors in the Downs. --Shak.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A procuress; a pimp. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pinnace
       n : a boat for communication between ship and shore [syn: {tender},
            {ship's boat}, {cutter}]