A fast, small sailing vessel, originally from the Mediterranean, with two or three masts and a shallow draft, used for trade and sometimes privateering.
From Turkish 'çebek' or Arabic, referring to a Mediterranean corsair ship type. The word entered European languages through maritime contact, particularly from Barbary corsairs and Mediterranean trade routes.
Chebecs were the fast-attack ships of the Mediterranean—pirates and privateers loved them because they were quick, maneuverable, and could sneak into shallow harbors. The word itself traveled from Arabic through Turkish to European languages via naval contact.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.