Meaning & use
corsair
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableliteraryold-fashioned
A pirate, especially one from North Africa who attacked ships in the Mediterranean in the past.
Grammar: Countable: a corsair, many corsairs. Often used in historical or literary contexts.
Patterns
- a corsair
- the corsairs
In the 17th century, corsairs from the Barbary Coast raided European ships.
The story tells of a brave captain who fought the corsairs.
nouncountableliteraryold-fashioned
A fast ship used by pirates or privateers.
Grammar: Countable: a corsair, two corsairs. Usually refers to the ship itself.
Patterns
- a corsair
- sail a corsair
The corsair was small but very fast.
They spotted a corsair on the horizon.
Word forms
| plural | corsairs |
|---|
Common combinations
- Barbary corsair
- The Barbary corsairs were feared across the Mediterranean.
- corsair ship
- The corsair ship flew a black flag.
- a band of corsairs
- A band of corsairs attacked the coastal town.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pirate
- Pirate is the everyday word for someone who attacks ships; corsair is more literary and often refers specifically to North African pirates.
- privateer
- A privateer is a ship or sailor authorized by a government to attack enemy ships; a corsair may or may not have such official permission.
- buccaneer
- Buccaneer usually refers to pirates in the Caribbean; corsair is more often used for the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Commonly confused: corsair or corsac?
corsair vs corsac
Corsac is a type of fox; corsair is a pirate or pirate ship.
Practice
The Barbary ______ attacked ships along the North African coast.
Choose one answer.
'Corsairs' means pirates, which fits the context of attacking ships. 'Corsacs' are foxes, 'corsages' are flower arrangements, and 'corsets' are tight-fitting garments.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “corsair”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.