Lexicon

Learn to speak like a pirate or a royal

Pirate Lexicon

Word or Phrase	Part of Speech	Meaning
Addled	Verb	Mad or Insane
Aft or Abaft	Adjective/Verb	At, in, toward, or close to the stern of a vessel or rear.
Ahoy	Interjection	Used to hail a ship or to attract attention.
Amidship	Verb	The middle of a vessel
Arrr!, Arg!, or Yarr	Noun	A statement of excitement or I concur.
Avast	Interjection	To stop or cease, from the Italian Basta meaning “Enough”.
Aye or Ay	Noun	An Affirmation or Yes.
Batten down the hatches	Phrase	To prepare for trouble. Literally meaning to fasten the entrances to the lower part of a ship using wooden boards to avoid water entering.
Becalmed	Adjective	Rendered motionless for lack of wind.
Belay	Verb	To secure or make fast a rope by winding on a cleat or pin.
Bilged on her anchor	Phrase	A ship that has run upon her own anchor.
Bilge Rat	Noun	An insult. Literally A rat living in the bilge of a ship.
Black Jack	Noun	A drinking vessel, sometimes called Jacks, it was coated on the inside with a black pitch or tar resin to make it waterproof.
Black Spot	Noun	A black smudge on a piece of paper used by pirates as a threat. Mostly a fictional term.
Blimey!	Interjection	Expression of surprise or wonder.
Blunderbuss	Noun	A short musket of wide bore and flaring muzzle, used to scatter shot at close range.
Blow the man down	Phrase	When a sudden wind catches a ships sail and capsizes the ship. Sometimes used as a term to mortally wound someone.
Boom	Noun	A pole extending from the mast to hold or extend the floor of a sail.
Booty	Noun	Treasure.
Buccaneer	Noun	Another term for a pirate.
Bucko	Noun	A blustering or bossy person.
Bring a spring upon her cable	Phrase	To change course or direction as a surprise maneuver.
Cackle Fruit	Noun	An egg.
Careen	Phrase	To lean (a ship) on one side for cleaning, caulking, or repairing, or to lean to one side while sailing.
Carouser	Noun	A drinker or a noisy reveler.
Chain Shot	Noun	Two balls or halves of a ball connected by a chain, primarily used to cut down the masts of a vessel or rigging.
Come about	Verb	To maneuver the bow of a ship across the wind so that the wind changes from on side of the ship to the other.
Corsair	Noun	Another term for a pirate. Also sometimes a pirate ship operating with official sanction.
Coffer	Noun	A Strongbox.
Crimp	Noun	A person who tricks or coerces others into services as sailors.
Dance the hempen jig	Phrase	To be hanged by the neck until no longer living.
Davy Jones’ Locker	Phrase	The bottom of the sea, or the resting place of sailors who have drowned.
Deadlight	Noun	A plate fastened over a ship’s portholes or cabin window during stormy weather. Also may indicate a small opening or let to admit light into a cabin.
Dead men tell no tales	Phrase	Meaning those who are not alive cannot reveal secrets.
Fire in the hole	Phrase	A warning of an imminent explosion in a confined space.
Furl	Verb	To roll up and secure a flag or sail to something else.
Gangway	Noun	A passage along either side of a ship’s upper deck.
Give no quarter	Phrase	To show no mercy or concession.
Go on the account	Phrase	To become a pirate.
Grog	Noun	An alcoholic liquor usually rum diluted with water.
Grog Blossom	Noun	A red confluence on the face of a heavy drinker.
Handsomely	Verb	Carefully; in shipshape style.
Haul the Wind	Phrase	To turn the head of ship nearer to the point from which the wind blows.
Heave To	Verb	To halt the headway of a ship.
Ho	Interjection	Used to express surprise or joy, or to urge onward.
Hornswoggle	Verb	To bamboozle; deceive.
Hogshead	Noun	A large cask for liquors, etc.
Holystone	Noun	A piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the wooden decks of a ship.
Knave	Noun	An unprincipled, crafty fellow.
Landlubber	Noun	A person unfamiliar with the sea or seamanship.
League	Noun	A unit of distance equal to 3.0 statute miles.
Leeward	Verb/Adjective	On or toward the side to which the wind is blowing.
Loot	Noun	Stolen goods or money.
List	Verb	To lean to one side.
Marooned	Verb	To be left on a desolate island as punishment.
Matey	Adjective	Sociable; friendly.
Motherload	Noun	A very large amount of something valuable.
No purchase, no pay or No prey, no pay	Phrase	Meaning in the event of an unsuccessful raid participants would receive no reward.
Overhaul	Verb	To slacken a line or to release and separate the blocks of tackle.
Parley or Parlay	Noun	A discussion or conference, especially between enemies over terms of truce or other matters.
Pieces of Eight	Noun	An historical English term for peso, a silver coin, that was minted in Spain from the end of 15th century, equal to eight reales (hence the name).
Plunder	Verb	To seize wrongfully or by force; steal.
Powder Chest	Noun	A small wooden box containing a charge of powder, old nails, scrap iron, etc., formerly secured over the side of a ship and exploded on the attempt of an enemy to board.
Pressgang	Noun	A body of men employed to force others into military or naval service.
Quarter	Verb	To furnish with housing, or a means of a pirate expressing mercy to someone.
Quartermaster	Noun	highest ranking officer on a pirate ship underneath the captain.
Rapscallion	Noun	A rascal; a good-for-nothing fellow.
Run a shot across the bow	Phrase	To issue a warning shot, that will not strike the target.
Scallywag	Noun	A rascal or a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel.
Scuttling	Verb	The act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.
Sea Legs	Noun	The ability to adjust one’s balance to the motion of a ship, especially in rough seas.
Shark Bait	Noun	Someone thrown overboard.
Shiver me timbers	Phrase	An exclamation, of surprise or otherwise. This phrase originated from when the water or a canon would hit the ship, and the ship would shake.
Show a Leg	Verb	To wake up and get out of bed.
Splice the Mainbrace	Verb	To have a drink.
Strike Colors	Verb	To lower, specifically a ship’s flag to signal surrender.
Swab	Noun	A kind of mop for cleaning floors, the desks of vessels, etc., esp. one made of rope-yarns or threads.
Swag	Noun	Loot
Swashbuckler	Noun	An adventurous, romantic swordsman who is also chivalrous, witty, and generally has a sense of humor.
Weigh Anchor	Verb	To raise the anchor from the seabed prior to getting under way.
Windward	Adjective	Of or moving toward the quarter from which the wind blows.

Royal Lexicon

Word or Phrase	Part of Speech	Meaning
A Pox Upon Thee	Phrase	A curse.
Alas	Interjection	Used to express sorrow, regret, grief, compassion, or apprehension of danger or evil.
Alder-liefest	Adjective	Most beloved.
Ale-soused apple john	Phrase	A drunkered.
Anon	Verb	At another time; later.
Argosy	Noun	A large merchant ship or a ship of burden.
Aroint	Verb	To drive or scare off by some exclamation.
Beadsman	Noun	A man employed in praying; especially, one who prays for another.
Bawcock	Noun	A fine fellow.
Bawdy	Adjective	Obscene; filthy; unchaste.
Bezonian	Noun	An indigent wretch; a beggar or scoundrel.
Brock	Noun	Literally a badger but used as a term of contempt.
Bodikin	Noun	A diminutive of body, forming part of the exclamatory phrase “odd’s bodikin”, a corruption of God’s body.
Bootless	Adjective	Unavailing; unprofitable; useless; without advantage or success.
Butt-shaft	Noun	A light arrow for shooting at a target.
Buxom	Adjective	Obedient.
Bully-roo	Noun	A bragging cheater.
Before the mast	Adjective	A term to describe sailors who were not officers.
By-my-trowth or Troth	Verb	An oath.
By-your-lady	Verb	An oath.
Clap I’ The Clout	Phrase	To shoot an arrow into the bull’s eye of the target.
Cock and Pie	Phrase	An oath.
Dispatch	Verb	To remove someone from existence.
Dudgeon	Noun	A dagger.
Drumble	Verb	To be sluggish or lazy; to be confused.
Doth	Noun	Do or Does
Enow	Adjective/Verb	Enough.
Fancy-free	Adjective	Not in love or married; unattached.
Fare-thee-anon	Phrase	Until later or another time.
Fare-thee-well	Phrase	Farewell or Goodbye.
Fie	Interjection	Used to express distaste, disgust, or outrage.
Forbode	Noun	Forbidden.
Garish	Verb	Overly bright or ornamented, especially in a vulgar or tasteless way; gaudy.
Good Morrow	Interjection	Good day.
Gramercy	Interjection	Used to express thankfulness, with surprise; many thanks.
Hanged Be	Phrase	Impatience, irritation.
Hag-seed	Noun	Seed or offspring of a hag.
Harry	Verb	To annoy, harass.
Hark	Verb	To listen.
Heavy	Adjective	Sad or painful.
Hither	Verb	To or toward this place.
How dost thou	Phrase	How are you.
How now?	Interjection	How is it going.
Hugger-Mugger	Noun	Privacy; secrecy.
Inkhorn-Mate	Noun	A contemptuous term for a man of learning.
Jack	Noun	A sailor; a tar, or a mean fellow.
Jest	Verb	To make witty or amusing remarks.
Laced-Mutton	Noun	A courtesan.
Malkin	Noun	A kitchen servant, or any common woman; a slattern.
Methinks	Verb	It seems to me.
Nether-Stocks	Noun	Stockings.
Noddy	Noun	A dunce or fool; a simpleton.
Nought	Noun	Nothing
Lubberwort	Noun	Any food or drink which makes one idle and stupid.
Oft	Verb	Often.
Orgulous	Adjective	Proud; haughty; disdainful.
Ouphe	Noun	a small, often mischievous sprite; a fairy; a goblin; an elf
Ousel-Cock	Noun	A blackbird.
Perchance/Mayhap/Belike	Verb	Perhaps; possibly.
Pew-Fellow	Noun	A comrade or friend.
Portance	Noun	The manner in which one carries oneself; personal carriage; bearing; deportment; mien.
Pouncet-Box	Noun	A small perfume box with a perforated top.
Prithee/Pray Thee	Interjection	Used to express a polite request.
Privies	Noun	Toilets
Progress	Noun	A ceremonial journey made by a sovereign through his or her realm.
Prorogue	Verb	To protract; to prolong; to extend.
Quat	Noun	A pustule or pimple.; used in contempt of a person.
Quiddit	Noun	A subtle question.
Quire	Noun	A body of singers; a chorus.
Ratolorum	Noun	A ludicrous mistake.
Rapt	Adjective	Transported with emotion.
Rawly	Verb	In a raw manner; unskillfully; without experience. Without proper preparation or provision. In a raw manner.
Sirrah	Noun	A term of address implying inferiority and used in anger, contempt, reproach, or disrespectful familiarity, addressed to a man or boy, but sometimes to a woman.
Sooth	Adjective	Truth.
Tainture	Noun	Defilement.
Tawdry-lace	Noun	A silk ribbon or string worn as a necklace in the 16th and early-17th centuries.
Thee/Thou/Thy/Thine	Pronoun	Various forms of the informal ‘you’ or ‘your’.
Tidings	Noun	Information or news.
Verily	Verb	In truth; in fact.
Well Met	Adjective	A salutation.
Wherefore	Verb	Why.
Woe	Noun	A cause of sorrow or misery; a misfortune.
Woo	Verb	To seek the affection of (someone, especially a woman) with the intent to marry or begin a romantic relationship.
Wroth	Adjective	Calamity, misfortune.
Yeoman	Noun	An attendant, servant, or lesser official in a royal or noble household.
Yon	Adjective/Verb	Yonder or over there
You/Your	Pronoun	Formal address used for God and royalty.