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)

1. (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