Meaning of sea rover | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A herring.
   British, archaic, colloquial
2. One who travels the ocean; one who spends a great deal of time at sea.
   literally
3. A pirate, buccaneer or privateer; an ocean-going marauder.

Examples

“Then down the brave man lay⟳ with his bolster under his head and his whole company of sea-rovers at rest⟳ beside him.”

“1549, “A Proclamacion, for tale tellers” in All such proclamacions, as haue been sette furthe by the Kynges Maiestie, London, 1551, pp. lvi-lvij, […] there be dispersed and seuered abrode, sundery light⟳, leude, idle, sedicious, busie, and disordered persones, whereof the moste part haue neither place⟳ to inhabite in neither seketh any staye to liue by, but hauyng been either condempned of Felonies, & prison breakers, runne from the warres and sea rouers, departed from the kynges guarrisons, and loyterers, whereby thei become⟳ desperate persons […]”

“1843 April 18, New York Insurance Co. et al., "To Commander A.S. Mackenzie", Niles National Register⟳ vol. 64 http://books.google.com/books?id=ZSqY7wD2xYgC, page 179, originally published in the New York American, The turning of your ship into a sea-rover would have⟳ made the entire ocean a scene of outrage, rapine, and murder⟳.”

“It was a ridiculous scheme, both as to the force⟳ which was to take⟳ the ship, and her employment as a buccaneer -- the state of the ocean and of navigation being such at that time as to leave⟳ a sea-rover, pursued as he would be by the fleets of all nations, without a sea to sail⟳ in, without a coast to land⟳ on, without a rock or corner to hide⟳ in.”

CEFR level