Barbary pirate
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈbɑːrbəri ˈpaɪərət/
:
pirata berberisco
- The threat from Barbary pirates lingered until European colonists began to occupy North Africa, starting with the French conquest of Algeria in 1830. States realized that the surest way to create peace at sea was to impose the rule of law on the land where pirates hid.
- Barbary pirates would not attack
Examples
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Attacks by marauding Barbary pirates and the Ottoman Empire harassed Spanish shipping and trade in the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Academic text (2004) -
Merchant ships from the United States had received protection from pirates from the British navy during the Revolutionary War era, but that ended in the 1780s, and the Barbary pirates started capturing American ships in the Mediterranean Sea, asking for ransom or tribute.
Blog text (18) -
- The war with Barbary pirates.
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The Barbary pirates' activities declined during the middle decades of the eighteenth century.
Academic text (2003) -
Built in Boston in 1794, its first mission was to protect American merchant ships from the Barbary pirates.
Blog text (15) -
Barbary pirates were preying on American shipping, and a violent insurrection had broken out and was threatening to spread.
Academic text (1993) -
Marine Lieutenant Presley O'Banion defeated the Barbary pirates... on the shores of Tripoli in 1805.
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During the 18th century, Barbary pirates threatened vessels traveling through the Mediterranean Sea.
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Many European countries paid tribute to Barbary pirates to avoid attacks on their merchant ships.
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The notorious Barbary pirates were feared for their swift raids on coastal towns and trading ships.
Synonyms
356
3.3
A person who attacks and robs ships at sea
24
9.5
A pirate who attacks and robs ships at sea
1
9.9
A pirate who attacked ships near North Africa in the 16th to 19th centuries
A person who robs ships and coastal places at sea without government permission
A person who steals from ships or coastal towns
A sailor who attacks and steals from other ships, often in past wars
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is a straightforward composition: 'Barbary' (the Barbary Coast/region) + 'pirate' yields 'a pirate from the Barbary region/coast.' Although the term names a historical phenomenon, the meaning is literal and directly derivable from the constituents, so a learner who knows both words can understand it.
Etymology
Barbary pirate gets its name from the coast in 'North Africa' called Barbary, where groups of pirates sailed from ports and attacked ships. The name Barbary may come from the people called Berbers, so Barbary pirates literally means pirates from that coast, which is why it refers to pirates operating in that region.