Pirate Glossary

Account - As in "out on account." The phrase pirates used to describe plans to take to the seas and plunder ships.

Aft - As in 'after'. Towards the rear of a ship.

Ahoy - 'Hello'

Astern - Behind a vessel

Avast - 'Hey!'

Belay - 'Stop that'

Black Spot - Placing the Black Spot on someone marks them for death or shows they are accused of a serious crime.

Buccaneer - Another term for pirate.

Careening - A term to describe a procedure in which seaman turned a ship nearly on its side in order to scrape barnacles and other sea life off the ship's bottom, as this material slowed the ship down. They achieved this by moving as much of the weight as possible to one side.

Cat O' Nine Tails - A whip with many tails used for lashing.

Chase - A ship that is being pursued.

Colours - The flags that a shipped displayed to indicate its nationality.

Davy Jones' Locker - A nautical term that was slang for the evil spirits of the ocean. It was the ocean's bottom. To be sent to Davy's Locker was to perish at sea. To send someone to Davy Jones was to kill them. Can be used in other terms such as 'To be in Davy's Grip' (To be close to death, or frightened), 'To have the Davies or the Joneseys' (To be frightened), 'To see you to Davy Jones' (To threaten to kill some one) or to 'Awaken Davy or Awaken Davy Jones' (To cause a storm)

Doubloon - The highest value Spanish coin in circulation during the 16th and 17th centuries. Made of gold.

Eight - As in 'pieces of eight'. Sixteen pieces of eight to equal one doubloon. A piece of eight was a crudely cut silver coin.

Freebooters - A term pirates called themselves.

Freetraders - A term smugglers called themselves.

Grog - Familiar to anyone who's played Monkey Island! Water and rum mixed together. I can't see Jack being too impressed...

Jolly Rodger - The black flag hoisted above a pirate ship. It carried many different symbols, the most common of which was the skull and crossbones.

Keel Hauling - A form of punishment pirates usually reserved for each other when a serious rule was broken. A rope would be attached to a victim's feet and another rope attached to the victim's hands. The victim would then be pulled under the bottom of the ship and dragged along its barnacle-encrusted bottom. Some victim's drowned. Others were cut badly and bled to death.

Leeward - Going with the wind.

Maroon - For serious infractions, pirates would often abandon, or "maroon," a colleague on a desert island.

Parrots - Became associated with pirates in the early 1700s when seamen traveling in the tropics would return home with the colorful birds as souvenirs. The birds could be taught to speak and were easier to care for on board ship than monkeys or other wild animals. They could also be sold for a high price in London bird markets. Pirates sometimes used the birds as gifts to bribe officials for good will.

Purchase - Another term for plunder.

Quarter - Another term for mercy. A pirate would indicate that he would fight to the finish and take no prisoners by saying he would "give no quarter."

Wench - When the term was used during the golden age of piracy it simply meant a young woman not just women who worked in taverns and/or brothels.

Weigh Anchors (Anchors Aweigh) - To raise the anchor from the water and store in its proper location so the ship or boat can move. You "drop anchor" once the ship stops moving or to slow the ship.

Windward - Going against the wind.