Jolly Roger
Pirate ship's ensign
The Jolly Roger is the traditional pirate flag—typically a white skull and crossbones on a black background, though historical variations included full skeletons, hourglasses, or bleeding hearts.
Ships flew it to intimidate targets into surrender without a fight.
The term now evokes piracy generally: a boat flying the Jolly Roger at the Halloween regatta.
Head's bone casing
- crossbonesIntersecting skeletal warning
- buccaneerCaribbean colonial-era pirate
- corsairPirate or pirate ship
- privateerAuthorized civilian warship
freebooter · plunder · booty · loot · treasure · cutlass · swashbuckler · brigand
Head's bone casing
- crossbonesIntersecting skeletal warning
- deathCessation of life
- dangerExposure to harm
- poisonHarmful ingested substance
warning · menace · dread · terror · fear · intimidation · defiance · rebellion
skull
Head's bone casing
- crossbonesIntersecting skeletal warning
- buccaneerCaribbean colonial-era pirate
- corsairPirate or pirate ship
privateer · freebooter · plunder · booty · loot · treasure · cutlass · swashbuckler · brigand · marauder
skull
Head's bone casing
- crossbonesIntersecting skeletal warning
- deathCessation of life
- dangerExposure to harm
poison · warning · menace · dread · terror · fear · intimidation · defiance · rebellion · outlaw
ensign
Flag or junior officer
signal · emblem · pennant · standard · colors · jack · fly · streamer · bunting · furl
ship
Seagoing transport vessel
- sailShip's wind-catching fabric
- galleonLarge historical sailing ship
- caravelSmall Portuguese exploration ship
deck · helm · rigging · anchor · crow's-nest · starboard · portside · hull · rudder · seafarer
- flagsFrench flag, flags, Italian flag, colors, bunting
- boatsboat, ship, canoe, kayak, yacht
- Piratespirate, buccaneer, corsair, corsairs, privateers
- Caribbean piratespirates, buccaneers, Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, privateers
- Peter PanPeter Pan, Neverland, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, Wendy
- pirate talkahoy, arr, argh, aye, aye aye
Jolly Rogernational flag
Official country banner
flag of truce · Union Jack · Stars and Stripes · letter of marque · colors
jocular, jolliness, jollies, jocularity, jollying, jollied, jocularly, jollification, skull and crossbones