What does zebec mean?
The zebec is a small, fast sailing vessel associated especially with the Mediterranean and with Barbary corsairs. Usually described as lateen-rigged, it combined a narrow, maneuverable hull with a sail arrangement suited to rapid movement. In modern English the word is rare and literary, so “zebec” often signals an account of Mediterranean privateering rather than an ordinary boat. The term is also encountered in historical writing through the spelling xebec. Although its appearance can suggest a small craft, the word is not simply any boat: it names a particular type of vessel with a long history in regional maritime culture and in the histories of corsair raids. Knowing it adds precision to writing about maritime history and also illuminates the vocabulary of trading, raiding, and sailing communities around the Mediterranean.
nounA small, fast, lateen-rigged sailing vessel, especially one used by Mediterranean corsairs.
- A small, fast, lateen-rigged Mediterranean sailing vessel, especially one used by Barbary corsairs.
"The fugitives escaped in a zebec while their pursuists struggled to bring their heavier vessels to bear."
"The raiders approached the harbor in a zebec, their low silhouette barely visible against the evening sky."
"A maritime museum uses a model of a zebec to illustrate the swift vessels employed by Mediterranean privateers."
The standard plural adds -s.
"Several zebecs waited beyond the harbor's breakwater."
A zebec was essentially the corsair's speedboat: small, fast, and built for sudden attacks in the Mediterranean.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of zebec
English zebec was borrowed from French zèbec, which in turn came from Spanish jabeque. The Spanish word is generally traced to an Arabic source, with some etymological accounts connecting it with Arabic šabaka, meaning “net.” The English word therefore entered through a chain of French and Spanish borrowing.
How zebec is actually used
Rare and chiefly literary or historical. In modern writing it usually appears in accounts of Mediterranean sailing, privateering, or corsair raids.
Easily confused with zebec
Xebec is an alternative spelling of zebec and refers to the same type of Mediterranean sailing vessel.