Pirate Slang Dictionary
From ahoy to weigh anchor, learn how to speak like a true buccaneer with our comprehensive glossary of pirate terms and phrases.
Ahoy
A greeting or a way to hail another ship. "Ahoy there, matey!"
Avast
A command to stop, pay attention, or hold fast. "Avast ye!" means "Stop and listen to me!"
Batten Down the Hatches
A command to prepare for a storm or battle by securing the ship's hatches and loose items.
Bilge Rat
An insult comparing someone to a rat that lives in the lowest, dirtiest part of the ship (the bilge).
Black Spot
A piece of paper with a black smudge on it, given to a pirate to signify that they have been found guilty of a crime and are condemned to die.
Blimey
An expression of surprise or shock.
Booty
Stolen goods, treasure, or plunder.
Buccaneer
A specific type of pirate, originally applied to French hunters in the Caribbean who eventually turned to piracy.
Cat o' Nine Tails
A multi-tailed whip used for flogging sailors as a severe punishment.
Corsair
A pirate or privateer, especially one operating in the Mediterranean Sea (such as the Barbary Corsairs).
Crow's Nest
A small platform near the top of the mast where a lookout stands to watch for land or other ships.
Cutlass
A short, thick sword with a slightly curved blade, favored by sailors and pirates for close-quarters combat.
Davy Jones' Locker
An idiom for the bottom of the sea, the final resting place of drowned sailors and sunken ships.
Doubloon
A Spanish gold coin, highly prized by pirates as plunder.
Fathom
A unit of length equal to six feet, used for measuring the depth of water.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Wreckage or cargo found floating at sea. Flotsam is floating debris from a shipwreck; jetsam is cargo deliberately thrown overboard to lighten a ship in distress.
Grog
A mixture of rum and water, often with lemon or lime juice to prevent scurvy. Standard issue on many naval and pirate ships.
Heave To
A command to bring the ship to a halt by turning it into the wind.
Hornswoggle
To cheat, swindle, or deceive someone.
Jolly Roger
The traditional skull-and-crossbones flag flown by pirate ships to intimidate their victims into surrendering without a fight.
Keelhaul
A brutal punishment where a sailor is tied to a rope and dragged under the ship's hull (the keel) from one side to the other. Often fatal due to drowning or severe lacerations from barnacles.
Landlubber
A derogatory term for someone who is clumsy or inexperienced at sea; a person who prefers land to the ocean.
Maroon
To abandon someone on a deserted island or coast with little or no supplies, a common pirate punishment for mutiny or major offenses.
Mutiny
An open rebellion by a crew against their captain and officers.
Parley
A discussion or conference between enemies under a truce, usually to discuss terms of surrender or exchange of prisoners.
Pieces of Eight
Spanish silver coins (pesos de ocho), which could physically be cut into eight "pieces" (bits) for smaller transactions.
Pillage
To rob a place or ship using violence, especially in wartime.
Plunder
Stolen goods or treasure; the act of stealing goods by force.
Poop Deck
The highest deck at the stern (rear) of a ship, typically above the captain's cabin.
Privateer
A privately owned armed ship (or its captain) commissioned by a government to attack enemy shipping. Effectively a "legal" pirate.
Quarter
Mercy or clemency shown to a defeated enemy. "No quarter" means no mercy will be given, and everyone will be killed.
Scallywag
A mischievous, deceitful, or untrustworthy person. Often used affectionately or as a mild insult.
Scuttle
To deliberately sink a ship, usually by cutting holes in the bottom.
Scurvy
A disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, common among sailors on long voyages. Characterized by swollen gums and loose teeth.
Shiver Me Timbers
An expression of surprise, shock, or strong emotion. Refers to the shuddering of a ship's wooden hull when struck by a wave or cannonball.
Walk the Plank
A legendary method of execution where a victim is forced to walk off a wooden board extending from the side of the ship into the sea. (Rarely used in historical reality; marooning was much more common).
Weigh Anchor
To pull up the anchor and prepare to sail.
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