corsair
/kɔːˈseə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɔrsɛr] /kɔːrˈser/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɔrsɛr] /ˈkȯr-ˌser How to pronounce corsair (audio) kȯr-ˈser How to pronounce corsair (audio)/ (ame, mw)
corsair — noun
1. a sea raider, especially in older Mediterranean history, who had official permis
a sea raider, especially in older Mediterranean history, who had official permission to seize enemy ships and their cargo.
In 1627, Ottoman corsairs captured Gabriel's trading ship near Crete.
historical setting: Ottoman corsairs near Crete
Heather feared the corsairs would raid the small port before dawn.
common action: raid a port
Spanish guards chased the corsair across the harbour after the attack.
Stories from Malta described corsairs selling prisoners in North African markets.
文法句型
a corsair + verb
a band of corsairs
用法筆記
Usually appears in historical writing about the Mediterranean and often points to North African or Ottoman sea raiders rather than modern pirates in general.
常見錯誤
2. a fast ship used by privateers or pirates to chase, board, and rob other ships.
a fast ship used by privateers or pirates to chase, board, and rob other ships.
The corsair closed on the merchant ship before Minho could turn east.
subject is the ship itself
French guns on the corsair fired first as the convoy entered the bay.
ship detail: guns on the corsair
After the storm, the damaged corsair drifted toward Tunis without a main sail.
Noor spotted the corsair's black hull from the watchtower at sunrise.
文法句型
the corsair + verb
aboard a corsair
用法筆記
Use this sense when the word names the vessel itself. Nearby words often mention guns, sails, speed, or the hull, which separate it from the person sense.