buccaneer
noun /ˌbʌkəˈnɪə(r)/
/ˌbʌkəˈnɪr/
- (in the past) a sailor who attacked ships at sea and stole from them synonym pirate
- the legendary buccaneers of the Caribbean
- (especially in business) a person who achieves success in a way that shows skill but that is not always honest
- the new breed of corporate buccaneers
Word Originmid 17th cent. (originally denoting European hunters in the Caribbean): from French boucanier, from boucan ‘a frame on which to cook or cure meat’, from Tupi-Guarani mukem.