xebec

[ zee-bek ]

noun
  1. a small, three-masted vessel of the Mediterranean, formerly much used by corsairs, now employed to some extent in commerce.

Origin of xebec

1
1750–60; alteration of earlier chebec<French <Catalan xabec or Spanish xabeque (now jabeque), both <Arabic shabbāk

Words Nearby xebec

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How to use xebec in a sentence

  • Every time one of her boats rowed past the xebec it would be challenged and ugly things said.

  • The next morning Decatur had himself rowed over to the xebec, and went on board.

  • The small cannon of the xebec had been dismounted, but they hastily tied them with ropes.

    The Dead Command | Vicente Blasco Ibez
  • The first broadside from the ship's cannons kills five men on the deck of the xebec, among them the father of Riquer.

    The Dead Command | Vicente Blasco Ibez
  • And the end of it was he never againIn a Xanthic xebec went sailing the main.

British Dictionary definitions for xebec

xebec

zebec or zebeck

/ (ˈziːbɛk) /


noun
  1. a small three-masted Mediterranean vessel with both square and lateen sails, formerly used by Algerian pirates and later used for commerce

Origin of xebec

1
C18: earlier chebec from French, ultimately from Arabic shabbāk; present spelling influenced by Catalan xabec, Spanish xabeque (now jabeque)

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