Aboardage

/əˈbɔːrdɪdʒ/ noun

Definition

In maritime law and naval warfare, the act or practice of boarding another ship, especially in combat; an assault on a ship from another vessel.

Etymology

From aboard (from Old French a bord, 'at the side/edge') + -age (French suffix forming nouns of action or condition). The term is primarily historical and nautical in origin.

Kelly Says

During the age of sail, aboardage was both a tactical maneuver and a legal concept—pirates and naval forces had to justify their right to board, and maritime law developed complex rules around when aboardage was legal versus piracy.

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