A Pirate's Glossary of Terms
A comprehensive glossary of pirate terms and their meanings, historical info, and famous pirates. Arr!
For over 20 years, A Pirate’s Glossary of Terms has been the premiere source for authentic pirate language, history, and lore — a meticulously curated reference with hundreds of entries spanning ship anatomy, famous pirates, flags, weaponry, and more.
Admiral Edward Vernon
Famous Pirates
Admiral of the Black
Namecalling
aft
Anatomy of a Ship
ahoy
Phrases
American Main
Places
amidship
Anatomy of a Ship
Anne Bonny
Famous Pirates
Arr!
Phrases
Avast!
Phrases
aye
Phrases
ballast
Anatomy of a Ship
Barbary Coast
Places
barkadeer
Ships
barque
Ships
Bartholomew Roberts' Flag
Flags
beam
Anatomy of a Ship
becalmed
Phrases
belay
Phrases
belaying pin
Anatomy of a Ship
bilge
Anatomy of a Ship
bilge rat
Namecalling
bilge water
Anatomy of a Ship
bilged on her anchor
Phrases
bittacle
Anatomy of a Ship
Black Bart
Famous Pirates
black jack
Merriment & Misery
Black Sam
Famous Pirates
black spot
Phrases
Blackbeard
Famous Pirates
Blackbeard's Attributed Flag
Flags
Blackbeard's Flag
Flags
Blimey!
Phrases
Blood Flag
Flags
blow the man down
Phrases
blunderbuss
Weaponry
boatswain
Namecalling
bombard
Merriment & Misery
Bonaventure mizzen
Anatomy of a Ship
boom
Anatomy of a Ship
boom about
Phrases
booty
Financials
bounty
Financials
bow
Anatomy of a Ship
bowsprit
Anatomy of a Ship
Brethren of the Coast
Namecalling
brigantine
Ships
bring a spring upon her cable
Phrases
broadside
Measurement
buccaneer
Namecalling
buckler
Weaponry
bucko
Namecalling
bulkhead
Anatomy of a Ship
bumbo
Merriment & Misery
bung hole
Merriment & Misery
cable
Anatomy of a Ship
cackle fruit
Merriment & Misery
Calico Jack
Famous Pirates
Calico Jack's Flag
Flags
cannon
Weaponry
capstan
Anatomy of a Ship
Captain William Kid
Famous Pirates
careen
Phrases
carouser
Namecalling
case shot
Weaponry
castaway
Namecalling
cat o’ nine tails
Merriment & Misery
cathead
Anatomy of a Ship
chain shot
Weaponry
chandler
Namecalling
chantey
Merriment & Misery
Charles Harris
Famous Pirates
chase
Ships
chase guns
Weaponry
clap of thunder
Merriment & Misery
clipper
Ships
code of conduct
Phrases
coffer
Financials
cog
Ships
come about
Phrases
cordage
Anatomy of a Ship
corsair
Namecalling
coxswain
Namecalling
crack Jenny’s tea cup
Merriment & Misery
crimp
Phrases
crow’s nest
Anatomy of a Ship
cutlass
Weaponry
dance the hempen jig
Phrases
Davy Jones’ Locker
Places
dead men tell no tales
Phrases
deadlights
Phrases
doubloon
Financials
draft
Measurement
draught
Merriment & Misery
driver
Anatomy of a Ship
Edward Low
Famous Pirates
Edward Low's Flag
Flags
Escudo
Financials
execution dock
Places
Fanny Campbell
Famous Pirates
fathom
Measurement
fire in the hole
Phrases
flogging
Merriment & Misery
fo’cs’le
Anatomy of a Ship
foremast
Anatomy of a Ship
Francis Farrington Spriggs
Famous Pirates
freeboard
Measurement
furl
Phrases
futtock
Anatomy of a Ship
gabion
Weaponry
gaff
Anatomy of a Ship
galleon
Ships
gally
Ships
gangplank
Anatomy of a Ship
gangway
Anatomy of a Ship
George Lowther
Famous Pirates
gibbit
Places
gill
Measurement
give no quarter
Phrases
go on account
Phrases
Gold Road
Places
Golden Age of Piracy
Phrases
gout
Merriment & Misery
grape shot
Weaponry
grapple
Weaponry
grog
Merriment & Misery
grog blossom
Merriment & Misery
gun
Weaponry
gun wale
Anatomy of a Ship
hail-shot
Weaponry
hands
Namecalling
handsomely
Phrases
hang the jib
Phrases
hardtack
Merriment & Misery
haul wind
Phrases
hawsehole
Anatomy of a Ship
hearties
Namecalling
heave
Phrases
heave down
Phrases
heel
Phrases
helm
Anatomy of a Ship
hempen halter
Merriment & Misery
ho
Phrases
hogshead
Merriment & Misery
hold
Anatomy of a Ship
holystone
Anatomy of a Ship
hornswaggle
Phrases
hulk
Ships
hull
Anatomy of a Ship
interloper
Namecalling
jack
Anatomy of a Ship
Jack Ketch
Namecalling
Jack Tar
Namecalling
jackstaff
Anatomy of a Ship
Jacob’s ladder
Anatomy of a Ship
jib
Anatomy of a Ship
jolly boat
Ships
Jolly Roger
Flags
jury rig
Anatomy of a Ship
keel
Anatomy of a Ship
keelhaul
Merriment & Misery
killick
Anatomy of a Ship
King’s Shilling
Financials
knave
Namecalling
lad
Namecalling
landlubber
Namecalling
lanyard
Anatomy of a Ship
lass
Namecalling
lateen sail
Anatomy of a Ship
league
Measurement
lee
Anatomy of a Ship
leeward
Measurement
letter of marque
Phrases
line
Anatomy of a Ship
list
Phrases
loaded to the gun wales
Phrases
log
Measurement
long boat
Ships
long clothes
Phrases
lookout
Namecalling
loot
Financials
lugger
Ships
lugsail
Anatomy of a Ship
main sheet
Anatomy of a Ship
mainmast
Anatomy of a Ship
mainsail
Anatomy of a Ship
man-of-war
Ships
maroon
Phrases
Mary Read
Famous Pirates
mast
Anatomy of a Ship
matey
Namecalling
me
Phrases
measured fer yer chains
Phrases
mizzen
Anatomy of a Ship
mizzenmast
Anatomy of a Ship
motherlode
Financials
mutiny
Phrases
Nelson’s folly
Merriment & Misery
nipper
Anatomy of a Ship
nipperkin
Merriment & Misery
no prey, no pay
Phrases
no quarter
Phrases
Olivier Levasseur
Famous Pirates
Olivier Levasseur's Flag
Flags
Olivier Levasseur's Flag (variant)
Flags
overhaul
Phrases
parley
Phrases
parrel
Anatomy of a Ship
parrot
Merriment & Misery
picaroon
Namecalling
pieces of eight
Financials
pillage
Phrases
pink
Ships
pinnace
Ships
piracy
Phrases
pirate
Namecalling
Pirate Round
Places
Plate Fleet
Ships
plunder
Financials
poop deck
Anatomy of a Ship
port
Anatomy of a Ship
powder chest
Weaponry
pressgang
Namecalling
privateer
Namecalling
provost
Namecalling
prow
Anatomy of a Ship
quarter
Phrases
quarterdeck
Anatomy of a Ship
quartermaster
Namecalling
rapscallion
Namecalling
Real
Financials
red ensign
Flags
reef
Places
reef sails
Phrases
rigging
Anatomy of a Ship
rope’s end
Phrases
Royal Navy
Namecalling
rudder
Anatomy of a Ship
rum
Merriment & Misery
run a rig
Phrases
run a shot across the bow
Phrases
rutters
Phrases
Sail ho!
Phrases
salmagundi
Merriment & Misery
Samuel Bellamy's Flag
Flags
Samuel Bellamy's Flag (variant)
Flags
scabbard
Weaponry
scallywag
Namecalling
schooner
Ships
scourge of the seven seas
Namecalling
Scupper that!
Phrases
scuppers
Anatomy of a Ship
scurvy
Merriment & Misery
scuttle
Phrases
sea legs
Phrases
sheet
Anatomy of a Ship
ship camels
Places
Shiver me timbers!
Phrases
Show a leg!
Phrases
shrouds
Anatomy of a Ship
Sink me!
Phrases
six pounders
Weaponry
skysail
Anatomy of a Ship
sloop
Ships
smartly
Phrases
snow
Ships
Spanish Main
Places
spanker
Anatomy of a Ship
spike the guns
Phrases
spirits
Merriment & Misery
splice the main brace
Phrases
spyglass
Anatomy of a Ship
square-rigged
Phrases
squiffy
Merriment & Misery
starboard
Anatomy of a Ship
Stede Bonnet
Famous Pirates
Stede Bonnet's Flag
Flags
stern
Anatomy of a Ship
sternpost
Anatomy of a Ship
strike colors
Phrases
strumpet
Namecalling
stuffed to the gunnels
Phrases
sutler
Namecalling
swab
Phrases
swashbuckler
Namecalling
swing the lead
Phrases
tack
Anatomy of a Ship
tackle
Anatomy of a Ship
take a caulk
Phrases
tankard
Merriment & Misery
tender
Ships
The Pirates of Penzance
Famous Pirates
the sweats
Merriment & Misery
Thomas Tew
Famous Pirates
Thomas Tew's Flag
Flags
topgallant
Phrases
topmast
Anatomy of a Ship
topsail
Anatomy of a Ship
tot
Measurement
touch hole
Weaponry
transom
Anatomy of a Ship
trysail
Anatomy of a Ship
Tyburn Tree
Places
walk the plank
Phrases
warping
Phrases
weigh anchor
Phrases
wench
Namecalling
wherry
Ships
windward
Measurement
yard
Anatomy of a Ship
yardarm
Anatomy of a Ship
yawl
Ships
ye
Phrases
yellow jack
Flags
zecchino
Financials
Zheng Yi Sao
Famous Pirates