polacre

/ pəʊˈlækə; pəʊˈlɑːkə /

noun

1. a three-masted sailing vessel used in the Mediterranean

Word History and Origins

Origin of polacre¹

C17: from either French polacre or Italian polacca Pole or Polish; origin unknown

Example Sentences

In the war between America and the Barbary States in the early part of the century, the United States schooner Enterprise, under the command of Lieutenant Sterrett, fell in with and engaged a Tripolitan polacre ship, and in the course of the action the colours of the latter were either shot away or struck—in all probability the latter, for the Americans believed she had surrendered and quitted their guns.

From Project Gutenberg

They then proceeded to the lower part of the harbor, where they embarked on board a large rowing polacre that was left there for the purpose, and, the tide ebbing out, they fell gently down with it, and passed both the forts.

From Project Gutenberg

I shall not draw upon your agent, as I expect, when I return to Naples, to receive nearly forty pounds as your share of the cotton and articles taken out of the Spanish polacre we captured.

From Project Gutenberg

Why, sir, I was bound out of Liverpool with a cargo of manufactured goods for Smyrna, when yesterday, as I was standing on my course with a light wind, I fell in with a polacre brig with a signal of distress flying.

From Project Gutenberg

Meantime the polacre ran alongside, thirty or forty cut-throat fellows jumped on board, and very quickly transferred the cargo of the Pretty Polly on board their vessel.

From Project Gutenberg