guarda-costan.
/ˌɡɑːdəˈkɒstə/, /ˌɡwɑːdəˈkɒstə/, U.S. /ˌɡɑrdəˈkɑstə/, /ˌɡɑrdəˈkoʊstə/, /ˌɡwɑrdəˈkɑstə/, /ˌɡwɑrdəˈkoʊstə/ A Spanish vessel used for the protection of the coast; a custom-house cutter.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessels with other specific uses > [noun] > vessel used by customs authorities
guard-boat1696
guarda-costa1731
1731 Gentleman's Mag. 1 218 Admiral Stewart having received orders to cruize upon the Spaniards, as well Merchant Ships as Guard de Costas.
1742 H. Fielding Joseph Andrews I. ii. xvii. 301 I was attacked by one of those cursed Guarda-Costas who took our Ships before the Beginning of the War. View more context for this quotation
1772 J. Adams tr. A. de Ulloa Voy. S. Amer. (ed. 3) I. 39 While the galleons, guarda costas, or other Spanish ships are here.
1817 P. Moore in Parl. Deb. 1st Ser. 1797 Slave-dealing, which..might..be stopped more easily by a few vessels in the nature of guarda costas.
1845 R. Ford Hand-bk. Travellers in Spain I. i. 227 Swarming with privateers in war-time, and with guarda costas or preventive-service cutters in peace.
1854 G. Bancroft Hist. Amer. Revol. III. xvi. 296 Combining the power of taxation with a commercial monopoly, and enforcing them both by fleets, armies, commissioners, guarda-costas..and a host of petty officers.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1731