Corsair

Barbary corsairs

The Barbary corsairs, also known as the Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen, were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the North African coast, known in Europe as the Barbary Coast. In addition to seizing merchant ships, they engaged in razzias—raids on European coastal towns and villages, mainly in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, as well as Great Britain, Ireland, and Iceland. These included capturing Europeans and selling them at slave markets, known as the Barbary slave trade.

French corsairs

Corsairs were privateers, authorised to conduct raids on shipping of a foreign state at war with the Kingdom of France, on behalf of the French crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds. Although not French Navy personnel, corsairs were considered legitimate combatants in France, provided the commanding officer of the vessel was in possession of a valid letter of marque, and the officers and crew conducted themselves according to contemporary admiralty law. By acting on behalf of the French Crown, if captured by the enemy, they could in principle claim treatment as prisoners of war, instead of being considered pirates.

Corsair (character)

Corsair is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a star-faring outlaw who leads the Starjammers, the father of X-Men members Cyclops and Havok, and the supervillain Vulcan, and the grandfather of Cable, Spider-Girl, and Rachel Summers. He first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #104, and was created by Dave Cockrum.

corsair

Noun

1. A French privateer, especially from the port of Saint-Malo.
2. A privateer or pirate in general.