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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Polacca

Polacca \Po*lac"ca\, n. [It. polacca, polaccra, polacra; cf. F. polaque, polacre, Sp. polacre,] [Written also polacre.]

  1. (Naut.) A vessel with two or three masts, used in the Mediterranean. The masts are usually of one piece, and without tops, caps, or crosstrees.

  2. (Mus.) See Polonaise.

Wiktionary
polacca

n. (alternative form of polacre English)

Wikipedia
Polacca

A polacca (or polacre) is a type of seventeenth-century sailing vessel, similar to the xebec. The name is the feminine of "Polish" in the Italian language. The polacca was frequently seen in the Mediterranean. It had two or three single-pole masts, the three-masted vessels often with a lateen hoisted on the foremast (which was slanted forward to accommodate the large lateen yard) and a gaff or lateen on the mizzen mast. The mainmast was square-rigged after the European style. Special polaccas were used by Murat Reis, whose ships had lateen sails in front and Fore-and-aft rig behind.

Some polacca pictures show what appears to be a ship-rigged vessel (sometimes with a lateen on the mizzen) with a galley-like hull and single-pole masts. Thus, the term "polacca" seems to refer primarily to the masting and possibly the hull type as opposed to the type of rig used for the sails. Two-masted polaccas were referred to as brig-polaccas with square sails on both masts. Three-masted polaccas were called ship-polaccas or polacca-settees.

Image:Oluf Eigilsson Murat Reis 1627-1628.jpg|Polacca of Murat Reis the Younger San Nicolo-Antoine Roux-p17.jpg|The Graeco-Ottoman polacre San Nicolo, by Antoine Roux Roux-557346.jpg|The Graeco-Ottoman polacre ''Bella Aurora '', by Antoine Roux

Usage examples of "polacca".

Basilia came home without news, and learned that during her absence a council of war had been held, and that Polacca was imprisoned in the kitchen.

I rushed to aid her, when my old acquaintance, Polacca, boldly entered, and hastened to revive her mistress.

The moon was now sufficiently high to cast its soft light on the whole of the glittering basin, and a forest composed of lateen yards, of the slender masts of polaccas, and of the more massive and heavy hamper of regularly rigged ships, was to be seen rising above the tranquil element.