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XEBEC (n. -S)
Definition(s):
- (n.) a two- or three-masted Mediterranean ship with a long overhanging bow and stern, used formerly as a ship of war and more recently as a merchant ship
Useful information for game players:
- Front hooks: (none)
- Back hooks: -S
- Anagrams: (none)
- Longer extensions: (none)
- Wraparounds: (none)
- Other Spellings: ZEBEC, ZEBECK
- Related Forms: (none)
Epilogue:
Most English words beginning with X derive from the Greek language, as we have seen with other words profiled this week, but there are a few exceptions — with English, there’s almost always a few exceptions! For example, XU (a former monetary unit of Vietnam) is Vietnamese and was influenced by the French form sou.
The word XEBEC is another exception to the rule. It derives from the Arabic shabbak (“a small warship”), but on its way to English it passed through French (chebec) and Italian (sciabecco), and the English spelling may have been further influenced by obsolete Spanish (xabeque) or Catalan (xabec) forms. The alternate spellings ZEBEC and ZEBECK were obviously influenced by the word’s English pronunciation.
Recapping this week’s words: XENIAL, XYLOID, XEROSIS, and XEBEC
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