Pirates are always popular. From children's stories like Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson to classic swashbuckling films with Errol Flynn, or the recent Disney Pirates of the Caribbean movies, pirates fascinate and captivate. They also have their own way of talking, and live in a world very different from our own. That's where this dictionary comes in. Here you'll find all the common words and phrases pirates used, and the stories of many famous pirates too.
cackle-fruit
Eggs. A cackle is the loud call of a hen or goose, and so the product, fruit that is, of such a bird is a way to refer to eggs.
caltrop
A star-shaped weapon made from scrap iron, its four sharp prongs guaranteed that when thrown, it would land with one sticking up. It made an effective weapon when boarding other ships, especially since sailors often went barefoot on deck.
cannon
A large, heavy piece of artillary cast from iron or other metal, into which gunpowder, wadding, and a shot were loaded. Cannons often fired cannonballs, but also fired chain shot and grape shot. Contrary to Hollywood films, the wooden shrapnel from a cannon blast was not nearly as deadly as the cannon itself, which could tear through a column of four or five men.
captain
Leader of a pirate vessel and its crew. Chosen by open election, the captain leads the crew, is in charge during crises, gives orders during battle, decides what ships to attack and how to do so. A captain can be deposed by vote of the crew and is expected to honor their choice.
careen
The practice of moving a ship into shallow waters or out of the water entirely to remove barnacles, mollusks, and other plants or animals from the outside of the hull in order to make the ship able to achieve its top speed.
cargo hook
A metal hook used to move cargo, and also a handy weapon for close combat.
chain shot
A form of cannon shot in which two cannon balls are linked together by a chain. Chain shot was used to destroy masts and tear apart sails. It required relative proximity to the target vessel, and so made the attacker more vulnerable, and often damaged the target vessel and reduced its value as a new pirate craft.
chiplog
A means to measure speed. A rope with knots at regular intervals was played out as a ship sailed, and the rate was measured against an hourglass timer. This practice gave us the word “knot” as a measure of distance in the water.
colours
The flag of a ship. So named because ship's flags were often comprised of various colors.
come about
To steer a ship so that the bow or stern passes through the wind. This can be done by tacking or jibing.
coming up
Sterring the ship closer to the wind.
close hauled
Sailling upwind with the wind at about a 45 degree angle to the bow.
close reach
Sailling upwind with the wind at about a 60 to 70 degree angle to the bow.
compass
A device whose needle pointed north. Pirates, generally a superstitious lot, believed compasses to be magical, and so housed them in a binnacle, a wooden container.
corsair
Another name for a pirate, from the Latin word for race, cursus. Corsairs were also known as racers and tended to use small vessels to attack, often ships much larger than theirs.
crow’s nest
A small wooden platform, with or without rails, that rested atop the highest mast of a ship and was used to see further and find land, other ships, shoals, signs of bad weather, or anything else a pirate might be on the watch for.
Custom of the Coast
A set of agreements or rules, of written in the legal language of aa letter of marque, that a pirate signed on to when joining a crew. Also called the Articles, or more loosely, the Code.
cutlass
A short, stout sword good for hacking and smashing. A preferred weapon of pirates.
