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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Rapparee

Rapparee \Rap`pa*ree"\ (-p[.a]*r[=e]"), n. A wild Irish plunderer, esp. one of the 17th century; -- so called from his carrying a half-pike, called a rapary.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
rapparee

"Irish freebooter," 1680s, originally "pikeman," from Irish rapairidhe, plural of rapaire "half-pike." Kind of soldier prominent in the war of 1688-92.

Wiktionary
rapparee

n. A bandit or brigand.

Wikipedia
Rapparee

Rapparees or raparees (from the Irish ropairí, plural of ropaire, meaning half-pike or pike-wielding person) were Irish guerrilla fighters who operated on the Jacobite side during the 1690s Williamite war in Ireland. Subsequently the name was also given to bandits and highwaymen in Ireland – many former guerrillas having turned to crime after the war ended. They share similarities with the hajduks of Eastern Europe.

Rapparee (disambiguation)

Rapparee may refer to:

  • Rapparee, the name given to Irish guerrilla fighters in the 1690s Williamite war in Ireland
  • Rapparee Cove, a cove near the town of Ilfracombe, England

Usage examples of "rapparee".

All officers and soldiers in the service of king James, comprehending even the rapparees, willing to go beyond sea, were at liberty to inarch in bodies to the places of embarkation, to be conveyed to the continent with the French officers and troops.