Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A large galleon used in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1500s.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See carack.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun See carack.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun now historical A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a large galleon sailed in the Mediterranean as a merchantman

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English carike, from Medieval Latin carrica and from Old French caraque (from Old Spanish carraca), both from Arabic qarāqīr, pl. of qurqūr, from Greek kerkouros, fast light vessel.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French caraque (compare Spanish and Portuguese carraca, Italian caracca), from Latin carraca, from Latin carrus ("wagon"); or perhaps from Arabic.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word carrack.

Examples

  • I suspect, however, that they must have been nearly, if not entirely, decked over -- in fact, that they were what are now called flush-decked vessels, while probably the carrack was a frigate-built ship, or, at all events, a ship with a high poop and forecastle.

    How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves Updated to 1900 William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

  • In the Lansd. MS., British Museum, No. 70., there is a letter from Mr. Richard Champernowne to Sir Robert Cecil, dated in 1592, referring to the discovery of some articles pillaged from the Spanish carrack, which had then recently been captured and taken into Dartmouth harbour.

    Notes and Queries, Number 14, February 2, 1850 Various

  • He informed Heemskerk of the arrival in the straits of Malacca of an immense Lisbon carrack, laden with pearls and spices, brocades and precious-stones, on its way to Europe, and suggested an attack.

    PG Edition of Netherlands series — Complete John Lothrop Motley 1845

  • The caravel, the Pinta and the huge carrack, the Santa Maria, which was known by its nickname, the Gallega.

    Facts About Christopher Columbus | myFiveBest 2009

  • A heavily armed small carrack might sport 2 culverins below and 5 demi-culverins on deck per side, which at that rate could sink a ship of its class but only with some work.

    Cannon for Pathfinder « Geek Related 2009

  • I told them about those three ships -- we imagine huge floating fortresses, but Columbus 'ships were shockingly tiny for an open ocean crossing, two small caravels and the flagship Santa María, a carrack -- making their way out of Palos that morning, on a voyage longer and more dangerous than a modern trip to the moon.

    Jesse Larner: Some Thoughts on Columbus Day 2009

  • On January 17, 1524, Verrazzano set sail in his carrack La Dauphine.

    Archive 2008-07-01 Julianne Douglas 2008

  • On January 17, 1524, Verrazzano set sail in his carrack La Dauphine.

    I Heart New Angoulême? Julianne Douglas 2008

  • And ye had well nigh met him; for here cometh his carrack.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • O that he had but the wealth and treasure of both the Indies to endow her with, a carrack of diamonds, a chain of pearl, a cascanet of jewels, (a pair of calfskin gloves of four-pence a pair were fitter), or some such toy, to send her for a token, she should have it with all his heart; he would spend myriads of crowns for her sake.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.