mooncusser
English
Etymology
moon + cusser: the strategy would not work on a moonlit night, so the would-be pirate might be expected to curse the Moon.
Noun
mooncusser (plural mooncussers)
- (uncommon, historical, humorous) A land-based pirate who, on dark nights along dangerous coasts, would demolish any legitimate lighthouses or beacons, erect a decoy signal fire in a different, deliberately misleading location, and then, after having induced a shipwreck, subdue any survivors and plunder the wreckage for valuables.
Synonyms
- wrecker
Further reading
- description at Cape Cod travel