privateer
noun
[ ˌprʌɪvəˈtɪə ]
• an armed ship owned and crewed by private individuals holding a government commission and authorized for use in war, especially in the capture of merchant shipping.
• "she was captured by a French 44-gun privateer"
• an advocate or exponent of private enterprise.
• "it may be instructive to compare the supposedly wasteful public sector with the supposedly lean privateers"
• a competitor who races as a private individual rather than as a member of a team.
• "he finished top privateer in the world championships"
Origin:
mid 17th century: from private, on the pattern of volunteer .
