A Quick Glossary Relating to Pirates
Astrolabe — A navigational instrument used to calculate the north/south position of a ship by using the location of stars and the sun.
Barbary Coast — The Mediterranean coast of North Africa. The Barbary corsairs operated from here
Broadside — When all cannons were fired on one side of a ship at the same time.
Bowsprit — A large spar (point) sticking out from the bow of a vessel, which helps support the ship's rigging.
Buccaneer — Originally from the island of Hispaniola and named after the boucan—a meat smoker—these brutal pirates attacked Spanish ships in the Caribbean.
Careen — The process pirates used to clean their ships. Careening was accomplished by grounding the ship in a remote location and cleaning its bottom by scraping off weeds and barnacles. Detritus on the hull of the ship created more drag, slowing the ship down in the water.
Cargo — Goods carried by merchant ships.
Caulk — As part of careening a ship, caulking involved waterproofing the hull by applying pitch to holes and seams.
Code of Conduct — These were laws that pirate ships adopted. Each crew member had a vote in all affairs, and the majority ruled. Some pirate ships operated much like a democracy.
Compass — A navigational instrument which indicates direction by use of a magnetic needle that points to the north.
Conquistadors — Spanish explorers (late 15th and early 16th centuries) who sailed and colonized the "New World," including the Americas, Mexico, and the West Indies.
Corsair — Pirates of the Mediterranean. The most famous ones being based on the Barbary Coast of North Africa and on the island of Malta. Their governments authorized them to attack each other.
Cross-staff — Another navigational tool that had a long bar with several cross bars. The navigator would choose the cross bar that best represented the distance between a fixed position, like the sun, and the ocean. By sliding the bar to make the two points touch, the navigator could calculate the angle and estimate the ship's latitude (north/south position).
Doubloon — A gold coin minted by the Spanish, double the value of other coins. Doubloons were highly sought often by pirates for their high value.
Foremast — The mast at the front of a ship.
Galleon — A large Spanish sailing ship with three masts and large square sails, used to carry treasures from the Americas back to Europe.
Galley — A small sleek vessel, sometimes with a single sail, that was powered by several pairs of oars.
Gallows — A special wooden frame with support beams and a crossbar that held a rope and noose. It was used to hang convicted pirates.
Gibbet chains — A steel frame with chains used to display notorious pirates on the shores as a warning to would-be pirates!
Hardtack— A hard baked biscuit that was sent on ships and eaten by sailors. It lasted a long time because it was hard, like a cracker. Sometimes they got infested with weevils—small worms that rendered them inedible, but some sailors ate them anyway.
Hispaniola — The island that lies between Cuba and Puerto Rica in the Caribbean.
Jolly Roger — The name most commonly used to describe a pirate flag. Most of these flags had a black background with an image depicting skull and crossbones, or a variation thereof. Pirates had their own versions of Jolly Rogers.
Mainmast — The mast at the center of a vessel
Marooned — Pirates who broke the laws of the ship were sometimes marooned—left alone on a deserted island with few supplies as punishment.
Mizzenmast — In a three-masted ship, the mizzenmast is the mast at the rear of the ship.
Navigate — To calculate the direction a ship will travel, using instruments, maps, and common knowledge.
Pardon — The granting of freedom or excusing of crimes without penalty or punishment.
Piracy — Robbery on the high seas. Piracy today has taken on different forms, such as skyjacking and the piracy of intellectual property, like software.
Privateer — Given a "Marque of Letters," or license from the government, these legal pirates were authorized to attack ships from enemy countries. Some privateers operated beyond the limitations of their contract and pirated anyway.
Rigging — The series of ropes and pulleys that hold the sails to the mast of ship and help control them.
Schooner — A popular vessel of pirates, they usually had two masts and were sleek, able to catch up to larger merchant ships. Schooners could hold plenty of cannons and go into shallow waters.
Scurvy — A disease caused from lack of vitamin C. Scurvy affected the body's ability to hold limbs together and caused gums to become swollen.
Sloops — Sleek sailing vessels that had two masts and a shallow draft, enabling them to sail in shallow waters.
Spanish Main — The hotbed for piracy during the Golden Age, where riches were plundered from the New World. This area included parts of Central and South America that were controlled by the Spanish, and later included the Caribbean Sea and surrounding islands.
Barbary Coast — The Mediterranean coast of North Africa. The Barbary corsairs operated from here
Broadside — When all cannons were fired on one side of a ship at the same time.
Bowsprit — A large spar (point) sticking out from the bow of a vessel, which helps support the ship's rigging.
Buccaneer — Originally from the island of Hispaniola and named after the boucan—a meat smoker—these brutal pirates attacked Spanish ships in the Caribbean.
Careen — The process pirates used to clean their ships. Careening was accomplished by grounding the ship in a remote location and cleaning its bottom by scraping off weeds and barnacles. Detritus on the hull of the ship created more drag, slowing the ship down in the water.
Cargo — Goods carried by merchant ships.
Caulk — As part of careening a ship, caulking involved waterproofing the hull by applying pitch to holes and seams.
Code of Conduct — These were laws that pirate ships adopted. Each crew member had a vote in all affairs, and the majority ruled. Some pirate ships operated much like a democracy.
Compass — A navigational instrument which indicates direction by use of a magnetic needle that points to the north.
Conquistadors — Spanish explorers (late 15th and early 16th centuries) who sailed and colonized the "New World," including the Americas, Mexico, and the West Indies.
Corsair — Pirates of the Mediterranean. The most famous ones being based on the Barbary Coast of North Africa and on the island of Malta. Their governments authorized them to attack each other.
Cross-staff — Another navigational tool that had a long bar with several cross bars. The navigator would choose the cross bar that best represented the distance between a fixed position, like the sun, and the ocean. By sliding the bar to make the two points touch, the navigator could calculate the angle and estimate the ship's latitude (north/south position).
Doubloon — A gold coin minted by the Spanish, double the value of other coins. Doubloons were highly sought often by pirates for their high value.
Foremast — The mast at the front of a ship.
Galleon — A large Spanish sailing ship with three masts and large square sails, used to carry treasures from the Americas back to Europe.
Galley — A small sleek vessel, sometimes with a single sail, that was powered by several pairs of oars.
Gallows — A special wooden frame with support beams and a crossbar that held a rope and noose. It was used to hang convicted pirates.
Gibbet chains — A steel frame with chains used to display notorious pirates on the shores as a warning to would-be pirates!
Hardtack— A hard baked biscuit that was sent on ships and eaten by sailors. It lasted a long time because it was hard, like a cracker. Sometimes they got infested with weevils—small worms that rendered them inedible, but some sailors ate them anyway.
Hispaniola — The island that lies between Cuba and Puerto Rica in the Caribbean.
Jolly Roger — The name most commonly used to describe a pirate flag. Most of these flags had a black background with an image depicting skull and crossbones, or a variation thereof. Pirates had their own versions of Jolly Rogers.
Mainmast — The mast at the center of a vessel
Marooned — Pirates who broke the laws of the ship were sometimes marooned—left alone on a deserted island with few supplies as punishment.
Mizzenmast — In a three-masted ship, the mizzenmast is the mast at the rear of the ship.
Navigate — To calculate the direction a ship will travel, using instruments, maps, and common knowledge.
Pardon — The granting of freedom or excusing of crimes without penalty or punishment.
Piracy — Robbery on the high seas. Piracy today has taken on different forms, such as skyjacking and the piracy of intellectual property, like software.
Privateer — Given a "Marque of Letters," or license from the government, these legal pirates were authorized to attack ships from enemy countries. Some privateers operated beyond the limitations of their contract and pirated anyway.
Rigging — The series of ropes and pulleys that hold the sails to the mast of ship and help control them.
Schooner — A popular vessel of pirates, they usually had two masts and were sleek, able to catch up to larger merchant ships. Schooners could hold plenty of cannons and go into shallow waters.
Scurvy — A disease caused from lack of vitamin C. Scurvy affected the body's ability to hold limbs together and caused gums to become swollen.
Sloops — Sleek sailing vessels that had two masts and a shallow draft, enabling them to sail in shallow waters.
Spanish Main — The hotbed for piracy during the Golden Age, where riches were plundered from the New World. This area included parts of Central and South America that were controlled by the Spanish, and later included the Caribbean Sea and surrounding islands.