A pirate is a criminal who steals ships, and sometimes also attacks coastal cities.
Although most pirates were ordinary people who were forced to turn to crime to make a living. The years 1700 to 1725 were considered the “Golden Age of Plunder”. This time thousands of people turned to shooting to make a living. It is known as the “Golden Age” because many conditions were favorable for pirates to prosper.
The Pirates actually did not say special phrases for pirates or criminal names. They use modern English language and many criminal names today are associated with everything we know about criminals.
Pirate Slang Words with Meanings
Following are some common words and phrases from pirate lingo along with their explanation:
| Word or Phrase | Meaning |
| Ahoy | Hello |
| Avast Ye | Let me pay attention |
| Bilge Sucking | An insult indicating that someone drank the dirty water that came out of the bottom of the ship |
| Black Spot | Death threat |
| Blimey | There is something that a person says when they are surprised |
| Booty | Wealth or spoil |
| Bounty | Reward for action |
| Briney Deep | The sea |
| Cackle Fruit | Egg eggs |
| Chase Gun | The front, or front, cannon, of a ship |
| Clap Of Thunder | A strong alcoholic beverage |
| Dance The Hempen | Suspension |
| Feed The Fish | If you lose the fight at sea, your body will eat fish |
| Fire In The Hole | A loaded canon and ready to explode |
| Freebooter | A robber or robber, from the same place as a flibustier, is a person who has taken plunder or spoils. |
| Hempen Halter | The rope used to hang people. |
| Hand The Jib | Swallowing or mocking. |
| Head | The toilet on the ship. |
| Hearties | Friends and comrades. |
| Heave Ho | The instruction to put some effort into whatever a person is doing |
| Horns Waggle | Deception, deception |
| Keelhaul | Punishment when someone is dragged back and forth under a boat |
| Lily Livered | Insulting someone who shows cowardice |
| Mutiny | A situation in which employees elect a new captain, sometimes forcing an older one out |
| No Prey No Pay | Criminal law which means workers were not paid but took part in any looting |
| Old Salt | The experienced sailor at sea |
| Orlop | The lowest point on the ship is where the cables are stored |
| Peg Leg | Wooden leg |
| Poop Deck | High back desk and far away |
| Rigging | Lines and ropes that held the sails |
| Run A Big | Play a trick |
| Savvy | The question is, “do you understand?” |
| Scallywag | An ignorant criminal, considered an insult |
| Scurvy Dog | Profanity |
| Sea Legs | When a criminal can no longer travel freely on a moving ship |
| Shiver Me Timbers | Speech used to indicate shock or disbelief |
| Sink Me | An exclamation of great surprise |
| Cleave Him To The Brisket | Order to kill a man by cutting him in the chest from the shoulders to the abdomen. |
| Clipper | A speedboat or a ship |
| Coffer | Treasure box |
| Cog | A small warship |
| Corsair | Pirates from the Mediterranean |
| Crack Jenny’s Teacup | Time to spend the night with a prostitute |
| Crow’s Nest | A small viewing platform near the pillar to see the distances |
| Cutlass | Thick, heavy and short sword of robbers |
| Davy Jones Locker | A mysterious myth about an evil spirit coming down from the sea and dragging criminals or sailors to their deaths |
| Dead Men Tell No Tales | A saying that says no survivor is left behind |
| Doubloons | The types of Spanish gold coins found by criminals |
| Fathom | Six feet |
| Flogging | Human cruelty |
| Galley | A flat vessel propelled by hand with oars |
| Gangplank | Removable ramp between pier and ship |
| Go On Account | The term criminals often said that they became criminals |
| Grog | Rum or alcohol is diluted with water |
| Shark Bait | This is what you become after walking on a farm |
| Shipshape | The ship is well maintained and clean, everything is under control |
| Son Of A Biscuit Eater | Name or profanity of someone you do not like |
| Splice The Main brace | Pass out drinks to employees |
| Spyglass | Telescope |
| Squiffy | Advice or drunkenness, a moving foot |
| Strike Colors | Lower the ship’s flag to show your commitment |
| Swab | Lubricate or clean the ship deck and bottom boards |
| Take A Caulk | Cambalala |
| Tar | Sailor, member of staff |
| Thar she blows | Whale detection |
| Three Sheets To The Wind | He is very drunk, drunk |
| Walk The Plank | The prisoner is ordered to get off the board across the ocean, leading to drowning and possibly encountering davy jones. |
| Weigh Anchor And Hoist The Mizzen | Command the crew to pull the anchor and steer the ship! |
| Wench | Woman or little girl |
| Ye | You |
| Yellow Jack | When a ship flies a yellow flag, it indicates the presence of a sick crew member, such as yellow fever. But this too was a tactic used by some intellectual pirates to avoid becoming victims of another ship. |
You can practice these terms using the Pirate vocabulary worksheet.
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